Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?
by RicardianScholar Clark-Weasley
Summary: Frustrated with his never-ending defeats at Ladybug and Chat Noir's hands, Gabriel decides to change his approach to the problem and instead uses his son to entice Ladybug into his home...
1. Chapter 1

" _ **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH**_!"

Hawk Moth's scream of pure rage and frustration bounced off the walls of his lair as it echoed throughout the room. He threw his cane down onto the ground and stomped on it furiously before his transformation released itself and Nooroo fell to the floor in exhaustion.

"Another _failure_!" Gabriel spat out disgustedly. "Another Akuma gifted with great power has been defeated again by a _teenage_ _girl_ and her fool of sidekick. _How_?! How does this keep happening?"

"I don't know, Master!" Nooroo whimpered. "The Ladybug Miraculous and the Black Cat Miraculous hold great power. They have rarely been defeated."

" _I don't care_!" Gabriel snarled. "All I want is their Miraculous Stones and I wanted them _months_ ago. My patience is waning, Nooroo."

Nooroo let out another pathetic whimper and Gabriel rolled his eyes in revulsion before he yanked off the purple butterfly brooch and sent Nooroo back to whatever limbo plane Kwamis go back to when they were not active. With another aggravated growl, Gabriel stormed out of his lair and back into his office.

His arm shot out and swiped off the many papers, files, and picture frames off. The loud, clattering, noise and the terrible mess did nothing to improve his mood.

"I take it," Nathalie said dryly, "that this Akuma Attack had not been the triumphant victory you had hoped it to be."

"No, _of course it was_!" Gabriel sneered sarcastically. "That's why Emile has returned to us, and together we're just delirious with love and happiness and planning a welcome home party to surprise Adrien with. DOES IT FUCKING LOOK LIKE THAT I WAS VICTORIOUS?!"

Nathalie merely responded with a reproving glance over her glasses. It was, much to Gabriel's everlasting annoyance, enough to make him feel ashamed like some naughty schoolboy caught trying to put a frog down a girl's dress.

 _Not that he had ever done such a thing!_

The girl who used to sit in front of him when he was eight was such a _liar!_

"The Akuma failed," Gabriel muttered through gritted teeth, " _again_! And we were so close this time as well! The Akuma was inches away from taking Ladybug's earring when that _blasted_ Lucky Charm worked it's magic! And then once again that infernal little _bug_ got away once more."

"If I recall the last five Akumas were _so close_ as well," Nathalie said flatly, "one had even taken one of Ladybug's earrings out of her ear before the tide was turned against her."

" _Yes!_ " Gabriel hissed irritably. "I know that!"

"And recently you haven't had much luck with your Akumas whatsoever," Nathalie continued, "they have taken to arguing back with you – one had even turned your entire lair against you in an attempt to _kill you_!"

" _I know_!" Gabriel shouted. "What is your point, Nathalie?"

"My point is, Sir," Nathalie replied coolly, "is that perhaps it is time you took a different approach to this problem. Clearly the Akumas are not making any progress. If this was a design that was not coming out right, you would not be using the same material and designer over and over again."

Gabriel gave this some actual thought.

As a successful businessman and designer, he knew that the first course of action was not necessarily the right answer to a problem. There is always a variable that could change things for better or worse. His first draft of a new product was never the end result. Things change, and evolve, and if he adapted his plans to those changes he was usually all the more successful.

He relaxed a little at that.

"You make a valid point, Nathalie," he admitted, "but _how_ exactly could I change my approach? There is very little room for evolution without making myself vulnerable to being captured or revealed."

"Perhaps, Sir," Nathalie said slowly, "you ought to consider using someone close to Ladybug to manipulate her into giving you her Miraculous out of her free will?"

"I don't know" Gabriel said uncertainly, "that girl has managed to keep her identity firmly under wraps. I have no indication whatsoever to who she may or may not care for."

"She seems rather fond of that Ladyblog girl," Nathalie suggested, "there has been many occasions in which she went out of her way to rescue the child."

"No," Gabriel shook his head, "Many of Ladybug's better successes has happened when Miss Cesaire is in great peril. To place her in any more would only lead to more humiliating defeats. I wish to crush Ladybug's spirit to mere dust, not motivate her to become an even bigger nuisance."

"The Bourgeois girl?"

Was it just him or did Nathalie sound a little hopeful at the thought of Andre's daughter being in danger?

Not that Gabriel could blame her.

Miss Bourgeois might be a huge help to him when it came to creating Akumas and new possibilities to steal Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous but that didn't prevent the little brat from being the most annoying, shrill, child in Paris.

If he didn't need his wish to save Emile, he would definitely use it to get rid of Chloe Bourgeois' voice, and he was sure all of Paris would hail him a hero for it.

Including Ladybug and Chat Noir.

"No," Gabriel shook his head, "Ladybug has made her disdain of Miss Bourgeois quite clear in the past. She might be tempted to not come at all. What we did is someone that Ladybug is _blatantly smitten_ with, someone she would abandon _all responsibility_ to rescue, someone she can't stop thinking or worrying about, someone _per._..."

Gabriel trailed off as his son's beautiful smile caught his eye.

His perfect son that Ladybug was clearly infatuated with.

He remembered the incident with Jackady, the one time he really put himself at risk and how Ladybug spent a great deal of her time 'protecting him' by staring at the pictures of Adrien he had up on his walls with a deep blush and loving eyes. His light questioning and bragging about his son and sent the girl into a stammering, blushing, mess. He could recall Nathalie reporting how Ladybug had stammered and stuttered round his son as well, and how Adrien was just as bad.

And then he remembered the Volpina incident, and how Ladybug had actually reached up to take of her Miraculous in order to save the illusion of his son (as if he would ever let an Akuma kidnap his child and dangle him off the Eiffel Tower)!

And most recently, with the swords-woman he could see clearly that Ladybug was flushed and flustered by having Adrien in her arms as she rescued him. She was also clearly distracted the entire fight, worrying about his son.

Gabriel had his perfect bait.

He had _Adrien_.

"No," he murmured, "no I won't do it."

He won't endanger his son like that.

"Sir?"

"I don't think another route is possible, Nathalie," Gabriel said loudly, "one of my Akumas will be successful. Luck always runs out in the end and then Ladybug will finally get her just deserts."

And with that Gabriel dropped the matter and returned instantly to fabric options for his latest design. He then continued as always – making Akumas, losing, raging about that loss, and then returning to his day job. Rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat, all the while the thought of using Adrien niggled away in the back of the mind.

He didn't _have to_ endanger Adrien.

He could just use his son to lure Ladybug into his lair. Trick her into letting her guard down before he swooped in and plucked those earrings off of her.

No one had to get _hurt._

All he had to do was invite her to dinner and drug her, and...

Soon enough one loss had become too many and Gabriel had managed to talk himself into using Adrien as the perfect bait.

It took another gamble of an Akuma.

He deliberately crushed an intern's dream before sending out a butterfly to do this dirty work and then de-transformed in time for Ladybug to rescue him.

There had been some absolutely terrifying moments where Adrien had vanished and Gabriel had almost changed his mind but when Chat Noir left to scene, and Adrien returned hurriedly calling out for Gabriel, Gabriel stood firm on his original plan.

" _Adrien_!" Gabriel had all but sagged to the floor as he pulled his son into a tight embrace. "Thank God, you're all right!"

Adrien hugged back just as tightly as he nuzzled Gabriel's shoulder slightly like he used to as a small child, and Gabriel felt his heart squeeze at the sensation.

Adrien deserved a life without fear and sorrow, he deserved a life of happiness and love, with _his mother home and safe_ for once and for all. Gabriel felt his resolve stiffen, he was going to get Emile back _no matter what_! Even if it meant using Adrien as bait.

With a deep breath, Gabriel straightened up and fixed an appropriately grateful expression on his face. "Thank you, Ladybug for saving my son's life," he said sweetly as he tried not to gag on the words. This spiteful little minx had prevented his reunion with his wife for almost a year now, the thought of thanking her for it made him want to vomit. "I owe you a great debt of honour."

"Oh!" Ladybug flushed. "It's, erm, ah, nothing,"

 _Nothing_!

It was _**nothing**_ to her that she kept thwarting his plans and ruining his life!

Gabriel gritted his teeth.

"It wasn't nothing, Ladybug!" Adrien protested as he smiled radiantly at the polka-dotted hero. His eyes were wide with adoration as he gazed dreamily at the sneaky, sly, bug. _Oh Adrien_! Gabriel thought sadly, _you wouldn't think so highly of her if you knew how she was keeping you from your mother_! "It was amazing! _**You're**_ amazing! I mean, well, you're just amazing."

Ladybug's cheeks almost rivalled her suit at this point. "Th-th-th-thank you!" she stammered out. "Kind, you're, gah, I mean, _you're so kind_!" she gabbled. "Really though, it was nothing. Chat Noir did all the work."

Had he?

Gabriel seemed to recall that the cat-themed superhero got himself thrown across the office a good few times and then somehow managed to smack himself in the face with his baton when he tried to twirl it for special effect.

Perhaps Ladybug was a little fonder of her partner than he had initially thought?

That could work in his favour later.

Adrien, however, looked utterly delighted. "Chat Noir would be nothing without you though," he said softly.

Ladybug shook her head. "I would be nothing without Chat Noir," she replied firmly.

"Regardless," Gabriel said curtly, "I don't see Chat Noir here checking on our well-being like you are. You are truly a role model for all."

Gabriel was going to need soap to wash his mouth out after all this nauseating gushing. Adrien didn't seem to like it either as he stiffened a little at Gabriel's pointed words against Chat Noir.

"Oh, I, err, well," Ladybug twittered gormlessly, "I wouldn't say that!"

"Well I do," Gabriel said smoothly, "and in recognition of your heroic and compassionate actions I wish to invite you to dinner this Friday. I would like to thank you personally."

Adrien brightened up at that.

"Oh! Oh!" Ladybug cried out. "I couldn't! I just did what anyone else would do!"

"Nonsense," Gabriel smiled, "I don't see just anyone else stepping up and doing the right thing, do you? I insist you join us for dinner it is the very least we can do after these many months you spent keeping us safe from Hawk Moth and his Akumas."

"I don't know..." Ladybug said reluctantly.

Gabriel's hand curled into a fist as he tried to keep his patience. Just a little more gentle coaxing, another syrupy compliment, and he might just win her over. He couldn't afford to lose his patience now!

Fortunately, Adrien proved just how perfect he truly was.

"Oh please Ladybug!" he pleaded sweetly. His beautiful green eyes wide and beseeching and the loveliest smile – his mother's smile – etched on his face. Gabriel had often found it extremely difficult to say no to that face (though he has managed it), Ladybug had no chance. "Please come to dinner this Friday!"

"Okay," Ladybug caved instantly, "I'd love to come."

It took all of Gabriel's self-control and restraint to not suddenly pump his fist in the air and cheer. Finally! Something was going his way for once.

"We would be honoured," he smiled instead.

Adrien grinned brilliantly at Ladybug who blushed so deeply that her cheeks matched the scarlet colour of her mask while she smiled back sweetly.

Gabriel coughed pointedly.

"Ah!" Ladybug cried out. "I, erm, should go! Before, you know, earrings, time limit, I, ah, err, you... _goodbye!_ "

And with an awkward wave, she all but flung herself out of the window.

Adrien sighed dreamily.

Gabriel's eye twitched slightly at that. "I do believe," he said stiffly, "that you have homework that needs completing if you wish to spend Friday dining with superheroes."

"Yes, Father," Adrien mumbled obediently.

Gabriel felt his heart twinged with guilt at the miserable expression on his precious boy's face but by the time he worked up the nerve to reach out for a shoulder squeeze or to say something encouraging or loving, Adrien had already shuffled out of his office.

Gabriel turned his eyes to Emile's portrait and drank in her beautiful features, her glorious smile, and despaired how the artist – despite being the best in the business – still failed to capture her warmth and angelic aura.

Gabriel reached out to touch her cheek.

"I'm so close," he whispered, " _so clos_ e!"

Just a few more fleeting days. Just the right drug to keep a teenage superhero sedated. Just a few minutes to pull out those earrings and find a way to message Chat Noir. And then he would be one more miraculous, on more battle, away from his beloved wife.

"Soon, my love," he promised to his wife's portrait, "soon."

And for what felt like the first time in hundreds of years, Gabriel felt a real smile grace his face.

 _Soon!_


	2. Chapter 2

"OH GOD TIKI!" Marinette screeched. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO WEAR!"

It was late on Thursday evening and Marinette had a little under twenty four hours to go until she was dining with _both_ Adrien and Gabriel Agreste! She had been stressing over this for the last two days to the point she almost hyperventilated right there in the middle of class!

What if she messed up and accidentally tripped over and fell on top of Adrien or Mr Agreste, and ends up being dragged out of the mansion by the hulking tower that Adrien called the Gorilla? What if she accidentally spilled soup or something down her front and grossed the Agrestes out? What if she accidentally said something stupid and Mr Agreste decides to banish her from Adrien for all eternity? What if somehow she accidentally gave away her identity and...and...and...?

It was needless to say that Marinette hadn't slept well or paid much attention to her surroundings when her mind was worrying twenty four/seven, and she now had several bruises from walking into things repeatedly these last few days.

Now, her biggest concern was what she was going to wear.

After all Gabriel Agreste was a fashion designer and he would be critiquing every item of clothing with his expert eye.

"At first I thought I should wear _this_ ," Marinette held up a formal Chinese dress that her uncle sent one Christmas and she only ever worse for extra-special occasions, "but then I thought that would be too formal and over the top, and so I thought about this one," she held up a sparkly pink dress that she had made, "but then that might be too flashy? And then I thought I might just go as myself but Adrien might think I'm a slob if I do that, but none of my other skirts or trousers and tops look right, and I don't really have any other dresses. It's really last minute but if I don't sleep whatsoever, and don't go to school tomorrow, do you think I'll be able to design and make a new ultra-cool outfit in time for the dinner?"

If she binged on energy drinks, managed to find the right material at bargain price, and powered through it all, she would probably make something acceptable in time.

"Oh _Marinette_!" Tiki giggled. "I think you're worrying over nothing."

"What do you mean I'm worrying over _nothing_?!" Marinette shrieked. "I'm about to have dinner with _Gabriel Agreste_ – one of my fashion heroes and the father of the boy I am madly in love with! If there was ever a time I should be worrying over my appearance, it's _this time!_ I have to make a good impression."

"You already have made a good impression," Tiki said soothingly, "but you shouldn't have to worry about what to wear because you're going to dinner as _Ladybug_ , and Ladybug already has something to wear."

"Oh."

Realisation and waves of exhaustion simultaneously crashed down on Marinette as she dropped her dresses onto the floor and sank onto her knees. She had forgotten about that little titbit. It wasn't _Marinette_ going to dinner to meet the father of the love of her life. It was _Ladybug_ , who had been invited for her heroic actions.

"Oh yeah," Marinette murmured. "I forgot about that."

She didn't need pretty dresses because she was stuck in the same scarlet suit as always.

"I wouldn't worry about anything, Marinette," Tiki said as she nuzzled Marinette's cheek comfortingly, "I'm sure this dinner is going to go fantastically, and then one day you will be invited as Marinette, and you will wear one of your designs, and impress _both_ Mr Agreste and Adrien."

Marinette cupped Tiki close to her cheek. "Thanks Tiki," she smiled, "I hope you're right."

"Go and get some rest," Tiki said softly, "you don't want dark circles under your eyes at the dinner tomorrow, do you?"

"What?" Marinette frowned bewilderedly. "How would they see dark circles under my eyes? I wear a ma – oh, ha, ha!" Marinette dead-panned as realisation of Tiki's teasing sank in, " _very_ funny!"

"I thought so!" Tiki giggled.

Marinette flung her dress at the Kwami but it did little to stop Tiki from laughing away at Marinette for the rest of the evening.

Marinette didn't mind much though as she was now no longer bubbling over with nerves about the dinner as she realised how silly she had truly been before.

 _Tomorrow,_ she decided, _is going to be a good day._

MLBMLBMLBMLBMLBMLB

Adrien, however, had been bouncing between being ecstatic that he had a dinner date with Ladybug to be sick with fear that something was going to screw his chances of having a chance with Ladybug.

At first he was on cloud nine, wishing Friday would come sooner. "I just can't wait, Plagg!" he had babbled excitedly. "This is it. An actual dinner with _no Akumas_. I finally have my chance."

"Uh-huh," Plagg mumbled through a mouth full of cheese.

And then a sudden thought popped into his head.

 _What could he say to Ladybug?!_

She didn't know he was Chat Noir, so all the normal topics about fighting Akumas, and finding Hawk Moth, and playful, witty, puns were off-limits. There was so little that Adrien Agreste could talk about to Ladybug. All he had in his life was modelling – which was never as glamorous or interesting as people believed it to be – and his many classes, and Nino always said no girl liked a nerd. He had no cool passions or hobbies, and he didn't actually know any of Ladybug's!

Chat Noir was the only _interesting_ part of his life that he also had in common with Ladybug!

"Plagg, _what am I going to do_?!" He wailed. "She's going to think I'm totally _boring_ and not want anything to do with me!"

"Uh-huh," Plagg mumbled through a mouth full of cheese.

And then he went back to hopeful.

"I should just be myself, right?" he smiled sheepishly. "This is it. My chance to really show Ladybug who I am and that I'm worthy of being her partner both professionally and romantically. I can use this time to really woo her away from that other guy."

"Uh-huh," Plagg mumbled through a mouth full of cheese.

"Plagg, are you even l _istening to me_?!" Adrien snapped irritably. "I'm trying to sort through my feelings here and you're not _helping!_ "

"Uh-huh," Plagg mumbled through a mouth full of cheese.

" **ARGH**!"

And with that Adrien stormed off to his shower where he could sulk and brood in peace without Plagg's infernal cheese chewing and general unhelpfulness. This was, of course, the routine of every evening for the next few days as Adrien got more and more excited and anxious at the same time. His stomach simultaneously fluttered and twisted itself every time he thought of sitting across from Ladybug at a candlelit dinner table.

What if he accidentally spilled food down his front, and she thought he was gross? What if he accidentally said something totally boring and stupid, and she thought he was an idiot? What if he got so over excited at her presence that he accidentally revealed his identity, and she got so cross she refused to ever speak to him? What if...what if...what if...

And then as Friday finally arrived, Adrien realised he didn't know what to wear! And he had to wear something _purr_ -fect if he wanted to win over Ladybug with his charming debonair presence and incredible wit!

Unfortunately there was absolutely nothing available in his wardrobe that would fit the occasion! His formal wear was too formal, his casual wear was too boring, and anything in between while suited his complexion perfectly (as if Father would ever let him having clashing colours in his wardrobe!) didn't feel right. He either looked too uptight or too casual, and it was driving him demented!

"PLAGG!" Adrien shouted despairingly. "I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO WEAR!"

" _Really_?" Plagg drawled. "Because I have _literally_ just seen you throw out eighty seven different pair of trousers, a hundred and twenty nine different shirts, and eighteen different jackets onto the floor. And last time I counted you had _way too many_ pairs of socks and underpants for a boy who has his clothes washed daily."

"I didn't mean it like _that!_ " Adrien spluttered. "I meant nothing is _right_ for tonight."

He decided to not ask why Plagg had taken to counting his underwear. There were just some things he _didn't_ want to know!

"Kid, I don't know why you're bothering," Plagg rolled his eyes, "I mean sure, you get to have dinner with your _beloved Lady_ ," Adrien tried to ignore the sheer mockery in Plagg's tone at that particular endearment, "but you're also having dinner with your _old man_. Trust me on this one, _nothing romantic_ is going to happen tonight."

Adrien almost collapsed face first at that.

He had been so besotted with the mental image of the glow from the candles dancing on Ladybug's face that he had totally forgotten that _every action would be overseen by his father's cold, overbearing, gaze_!

Adrien was never going to be able to woo his Lady in a frosty atmosphere like that!

His dreams, shattered within seconds!

"Urgh Plagg!" Adrien groaned. "I totally forgot about that bit."

"I figured," Plagg said dryly, "chin up, Kid. It really doesn't matter what you're wear or say, Ladybug will _always_ like you."

Adrien brightened up hopefully at that. "Do you really think so?" he asked eagerly.

"Kid, trust me," Plagg smirked, "I _know_ so."

And so Adrien was dressed appropriately with his button down shirt actually buttoned and a smart pair of black trousers and matching shoes instead of his usual jeans and trainers. All of which got a nod of approval from his father when Adrien arrived in time to stand by his side.

"Perfect," his Father murmured, "as always."

Adrien flushed at the compliment but had no time to reply when the doorbell rang and suddenly every nerve inside of Adrien's body jumped with anticipation. He couldn't run across the foyer and answer the door like he really wanted to as his father would never approve and instead fidgeted impatiently as he waited for Nathalie to do it for him.

"Ladybug, Sir," Nathalie said flatly as she stepped aside to reveal Ladybug in her scarlet and black glory. Ladybug looked as beautiful as ever though there was an anxious aura around her as her big blue eyes jumped round to take everything in and her cheeks were slowly growing pinker and pinker by the second. "I will go and inform the chef, Sir."

His father nodded stiffly before he smiled down at Ladybug warmly. Adrien tried to ignore the niggling feeling that something wasn't quite right about that smile. His father's smiles hadn't exactly been right since his mother vanished. The warmth never quite entered his eyes any more.

"Ladybug," his father said loudly, "welcome to my home."

"I, erm, ah, thank you, Sir," Ladybug stammered slightly, "it's an honour to be here."

Her eyes darted all over the place before they suddenly met Adrien's own green gaze, and they locked into one another as Adrien felt his own cheeks heat up. "...Hey," he mumbled shyly.

Ladybug's cheeks glowed the most radiant shade of pink. " _Hi_!" she squeaked back in reply.

Adrien's heart did a somersault.

 _This dinner,_ he decided happily, _is going to be the best dinner_ _ **ever**_!

MLBMLBMLBMLBMLBMLB

The dinner was the _most awkward_ affair ever!

She always knew that the Agreste family was super-rich, after all Gabriel Agreste was one of the most successful designers in the world, but it never occurred to her that it would mean a gigantic, cold, dining room with the longest dining table ever and everyone sat so far away from one another. She couldn't quite shake off the image of poor Adrien sitting alone in this big, empty, room almost every single meal looking miserable despite the fact he was grinning radiantly at her right this very second.

To top it off she was sat between both Agreste men.

Well she says between, but Gabriel was sat at the head of the table, and Ladybug was on his right a good four or five feet at least away from him, while Adrien was a good five or more feet away further down the table. She might as well be _sitting on her own_!

And then the silence was deafening.

Gabriel Agreste looked content to be silent as he took a small sip of his wine and then gazed at both her and Adrien with a small, pleased, smile that unnerved Ladybug to no end while Adrien gazed at her with his beautiful glimmering eyes and the sweetest smile that made her all tongue-tied and incapable of speech.

So they all just sat there in silence.

And it really made her feel like a total lemon just sitting there.

Was it too late to ask Chat Noir to come with an emergency so she could run out and pretend this weird, awkward, evening hadn't happened?

It was just on the very tip of her tongue to shout out she needed the bathroom so she could message Chat Noir (or maybe just jump out of the bathroom window?) when Nathalie appeared with the food trolley. She looked prim, strict, and imposing as ever and Ladybug immediately swallowed her words as her eyes landed on the three modern-chic china bowls filled with a thick, sickly, yellow liquid.

"The soup course, Sir," Nathalie said flatly, "Spicy Root Vegetable Soup."

 _The_ _ **soup**_ _course?!_ Ladybug thought alarmed. _How many courses were there?!_

Her eyes landed on the large array of different spoons, forks, and knives, and she immediately gulped.

She was totally out of her depth here.

" _Spicy_?!" Adrien perked up brightly.

" _Root Vegetable_ ," Gabriel replied instantly, "so you will still be kept to your diet's needs."

Adrien didn't look to bothered at that while Ladybug bristled a little. Adrien was perfect the way he was, if a little too skinny at times, he didn't _**need**_ to be kept on such a strict diet all the time! "As long as it has _taste_ ," Adrien said sweetly, "I've been sick of the bland stuff chef has been serving all week."

She swore right there and then on her parents' lives that she was going to bring a cake into school each and every day for Adrien to eat.

Or one of their savoury goods, or a little bit of leftovers from Mum's Chinese cooking, or anything, just so he could savour the taste of good, hearty, food _every single damn day_!

"That bland stuff keeps you healthy," Gabriel said stiffly, "I won't have any son of mine collapsing because he hasn't eaten right."

"Yes, Father," Adrien murmured.

Ladybug shifted awkwardly as she glanced round wishing she was anywhere else. She was so grateful that there was a distraction in form of their starter that she immediately snatched up her spoon and shovelled the thick, yellow, liquid into her mouth.

And instantly choked.

Nathalie wasn't kidding when she said it was spicy.

The hot liquid virtually set her mouth on _fire_! Ladybug spluttered and coughed as she tried everything in her power to not spit the soup out on the clean, snow-white, tablecloth.

Gabriel, however, looked unruffled by the spiciness of his dish as he took small, slow, sips savouring every drop of his soup, and Adrien was happily slurping his soup away without even a drop of sweat.

She took a deep breath and reminded herself it would be rude to not eat what was put in front of her. Her parents would lecture her to death about being ungrateful and inconsiderate for not finishing her soup if they were here. So, with all her determination and stubbornness, she returned to the monstrous task of finishing her soup.

Though she was probably so flushed and sweaty now that she'll probably be asked to leave and never come back for stinking out the Agreste dining room.

"So Ladybug," Gabriel said calmly, "what does a young woman like yourself do when she isn't saving all of Paris?"

" _Oh_!" Ladybug swallowed the soup hastily. Her throat blistering at the hot sensation as the thick liquid trickled down. "Erm, ah, not much really, school, homework, hanging out with friends, that sort of thing."

"I see," Gabriel's eyes flashed with something that she couldn't identify whatsoever, "so you're close to Adrien's age then?"

"I'm sorry Mr Agreste," Ladybug smiled her best, professional, smile that she usually gave to reporters and Chloe, and her father, "I can't give out details like that. My identity must remain the utmost secret."

"I understand Ladybug," Gabriel replied, "but surely you can give us _some_ glimpse to the girl behind the mask without accidentally giving your identity away."

"I'm just like every other teenager," Ladybug said, "I go to school, I do my homework, I watch telly with my parents, I play games every weekend morning with my Dad, I hang out with my friends, and I go to bed hoping for an uneventful day."

"I don't think you're like every other teenager," Adrien piped up with another sweet smile, "I think you're _extraordinary_."

Ladybug blushed at that.

 _He's talking about_ _ **Ladybug**_ _!_ She reminded herself with a small pinch to her leg. _Not_ _ **Marinette**_ _, his_ _ **friend**_ _!_

Yet the reminder did nothing for the palpitations her heart had or the squirmy, happy, feeling in her stomach, or the burning sensation on her cheeks.

Though arguably that could also be from the soup at this point.

She hastily took several more gulps to avoid having to stutter and stammer like the incoherent mess she truly was.

"I agree with my son," Gabriel said, "you are quite an extraordinary young lady to take on such a dangerous burden on your shoulders."

"Ah, well," Ladybug said awkwardly, "I really couldn't do it without Chat Noir."

"So modest as well," Gabriel murmured, "tell me, Ladybug, do you have any aspirations for the future? You're surely not planning to fight Hawk Moth for the rest of your life."

" _I certainly hope not!_ " Ladybug exclaimed. "That would be awful if that was the case! I can't imagine my future employers would be happy if I arrived late or skipped out early to deal with an Akuma attack!"

"Certainly not," Gabriel agreed, "I, too, hope that Hawk Moth will not impede on your adult life like he already has on your childhood. You deserve to go to succeed in your classes without such hindrance."

Ladybug smiled as she took several more sips of the soup. It was a little cooler now and a bit more bearable to swallow though the spices and chilli were certainly destroying what was left of her taste buds on her tongue. "I can't wait for that day," she admitted, "it would be nice to go back to the way things were."

"But...but...but..." Adrien stammered out as a yawn suddenly overtook him, "surely you don't hate being Ladybug _**that**_ much?!"

"Being Ladybug as taught me a lot," she said quietly, "I have learnt to be a stronger, more confident, and better person for it. I have done things I _never_ would have done if I never became Ladybug, I have seen new sides of people I never believed existed, and I have made friends I would never have had without being Ladybug, I can never regret or hate that...but I want to be able to spend a day with my best friend without having to lie and run away, I want to be able to go to class on time and not make up embarrassing excuses to run right back out, and I want to have a moment with the boy I like without an Akuma ruining it."

"I am sure," Gabriel said silkily, "that you will get your wish very soon Ladybug. You have done such good work already."

"Thank you," she murmured as she took another sip of her soup. "What about you, Mr Agreste?" she asked eagerly. "Have you got any aspirations for your upcoming line?"

"Oh," Gabriel smiled, "merely that it surpasses my last line in terms of success and profit. Are you interested in fashion, Ladybug?"

"Actually yes," Ladybug flushed, "I hope to design my own line one day. In fact," she added shyly, "you're actually one of my id-"

 **THUMP!**

Ladybug whirled round to see, much to her everlasting horror, that Adrien had fallen asleep face first into his bowl of soup.

Good Lord was she really that _boring_?!

"A-A- _Adrien_!" she cried out anxiously as she scrambled out of her seat. "Are you okay? What hap..."

It suddenly overcame her like a strong Akuma spell. Her legs suddenly felt as if they were made from iron as she could barely move them and her whole body crumpled on itself as she doubled over the table. Black spots whirled across her eyes as the dinning room bent and unfolded itself before her.

She was suddenly on the brink of sleep itself.

"Wha...?" she mumbled uncertainly.

"Interesting," Gabriel observed, "your transformation appears to protect you from being immediately effected by the sedatives. However I did ask Nathalie to ensure you had an _extra large_ dosage and it appears to be working now."

"You..." Ladybug slurred as her knees gave out and the only thing keeping her at all upright was her arms desperately clutching the dining table. "... _why_?"

"Because," Gabriel purred, "my Akumas were getting me nowhere."

Ladybug's eyes widened at the revelation but before it could sink in or she could say something, the dark spots got bigger and bigger as they obscured Gabriel's victorious smirk from view...

...And Ladybug tumbled into a deep, dark, void of unconsciousness.


	3. Chapter 3

Marinette felt heavy and light at the same time.

It was as if her entire body was made from lead as she felt weighed down to the very pits of darkness. None of her limbs appeared to move the way she wanted them as she tried to sit up and her eyelids were still firmly shut no matter how hard she tried to force them open. She felt as if the whole world was pressing down on her and stealing all of her air and smothering her with a never-ending darkness.

Yet simultaneously she felt as if she was being cradled by a cloud. The soft, cushy, sensation beneath her lulled her into feeling safe and comfortable. The unmistakable brush of cotton sheets against her skin was gentle and light, and in return she felt like she was nothing but a wisp of air herself.

Marinette groaned loudly as she forced herself to wake up.

She _had to_ wake up.

She couldn't remember _why_ but she knew she couldn't stay asleep like this.

Was she late for school?

She was always late for school though Tiki would usually hold Marinette's alarm clock to her -

" _Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!_ "

The gasp ripped out of Marinette's lips as she shot up. Marinette's memories of earlier suddenly crashed over her – the dinner, the spicy soup, Adrien passing out, and then Gabriel Agreste confessing to have drugged her before revealing _he was Hawk Moth!_ She immediately flopped back onto the ridiculously over the top fluffy pillow as the restraints round her wrist kept her from actually sitting up. Marinette's eyes were wide with fear as she took in her surroundings.

The bedroom was deceptively innocent looking, with all of it's light and bright colours.

The bright lights sparkled from the small crystal chandelier fitting and lit up the pale blue walls, and the frilly matching curtains, and the sweet flower paintings in clean, stylish, white frames. It would have been the nicest guest room in an up-market Bed and Breakfast. Only up-market Bed and Breakfasts didn't have tall, imposing, middle-aged men standing at the end of the bed like some terrifying shadow.

Marinette let out a wordless yelp of shock mingled with fear.

"Interesting," Gabriel murmured, "the sedative barely lasted at all in your system. The Miraculous certainly gives intriguing gifts, does it not? Welcome back to the world, Ladybug," his lips curled in a mocking smile, "or should I say _Miss Dupain-Cheng_?"

Marinette inhaled sharply as she struggled against her restraints. Her scarlet suit was long gone and was replaced once again with her usual pink jeans, white t-shirt, and black jacket combo. She couldn't see Tiki anywhere.

 _Where was Tiki?!_

"I should have guessed you were my nemesis the day you returned my book to me," Gabriel mused, either not noticing or simply not caring that Marinette was on a verge of a panic attack, "but I was fooled by that simpering, stuttering, love-struck fangirl act to give it much thought."

Marinette flushed at that but kept her mouth firmly shut.

There was _no way in hell_ she was going to tell him that her stammering, tongue-tied, ways weren't an act but the real deal!

 _She didn't need additional mocking to her situation right now_!

What she needed was Tiki and a way out of these restraints.

He had tied her wrists to bed's headboard which was made of white wooden railings. If she had her super-strength from the Miraculous she could have broken free but now, with the drowsy lingering effects of whatever drug Gabriel Agreste had used on her, she was weaker than a normal bug. Her ankles were tied together too, so any chance of kicking her captor and somehow using her legs to break free was also off the table.

She needed Tiki!

 _Where was Tiki?!_

"Looking for something?" Gabriel smirked as he held up his hand. There, right in between his fingers, glistened two ruby earrings with black ladybug spots. _He had her Miraculous_! "I am afraid, Miss Dupain-Cheng that your days as Paris' favourite heroine are done but that's something to celebrate, is it not? You said you wanted to be _ordinary_ again."

The way he sneered the word ordinary made Marinette flush all over again with humiliation but she refused to let him get to her like that. To see her vulnerabilities when he already has her at his mercy.

"Not like this," she whispered, "not by losing to such a monster."

"A _monster?_!" Gabriel repeated disbelievingly. "You think _I'm_ a monster, Miss Dupain-Cheng? I'm not the one that goes charging around the city destroying things and hurting people."

"You possess people and _make them do it_!" Marinette hissed. Her fear and humiliation evaporated in an instant for righteous anger. "You might as well be the one that destroys the city and harms it's people!"

"I do not possess people and make them do anything," Gabriel's eyes flashed with indignation, "I merely offer them an opportunity to take vengeance and find some form of happiness. What they choose to do with that power is out of their own free will. They _chose_ to brutally smash the school bully to the ground, or to erase all that wronged them from time itself, or to boil a young spoiled chit alive, or to flood the city. I didn't _tell_ them to do that, I merely watched and advised when to take your Miraculous. I have nothing to do with the wanton destruction of selfish human behaviour."

Marinette snorted disbelievingly. "You take advantage of people's feelings and manipulate them!" she snapped.

"I am very persuasive when I offer people my deal to be Akumatised, yes," Gabriel acknowledged, "but it is no more manipulative than trying to persuade those to invest in my business. A lesson you'll need to learn, young lady, if you ever want to succeed as a fashion designer."

"Well it certainly wasn't one of your Akumas that drugged Adrien and me and then tied me to a bed!" Marinette spat out. "That's actual _criminal behaviour_ to kidnap an underage girl and essentially date rape your son!"

Gabriel's nostrils flared at that. "Don't you dare insinuate such disgusting things about me and my son!" he hissed. "Adrien _had to be_ asleep as well. Otherwise he would get upset and interfere with my attempt to take your Miraculous. He's oversensitive like that."

"It isn't being oversensitive to have _morals_ and _ethics!_ " Marinette said tartly. "And if you have to hide all of this from your son then you _know_ this isn't right!"

"Adrien is an innocent in the world," Gabriel said dismissively, "I have no intention of destroying that especially when my intention is to bring him great happiness. Adrien deserves the best, and the best includes his mother."

Marinette's eyes widened at that.

She knew something had happened to Mrs Agreste but she didn't know _what_. The news articles round that time only said she went missing while Adrien barely spoke of it, and she wasn't going to press him on something that obviously upset him. Whatever happened must have been _awful_ , for Gabriel Agreste to go to such desperate measures to bring her home!

But it didn't excuse the terror he inflicted on Paris or the fact _he had kidnapped her_!

"You want the wish to bring your wife back," she murmured numbly.

"I do," Gabriel inclined his head, "and now you know my motives are not nefarious, would you agree to stay out of it while I take Chat Noir's Miraculous?"

"No," Marinette replied immediately and flatly.

"No?" Gabriel repeated dumbfounded. "What do you mean _**no**_?!"

"I mean _no_!" Marinette spat out. "What do you think I meant?! No means _no_ , not _yes_ or _you can persuade me_ , just _no!_ I won't stay out of it. I would interfere _the hell_ out of this."

"You _dare_ interfere between me and my wife?!" Gabriel growled furiously. "You _dare_ to try to ruin the happiness of someone you claim to love?!"

"I dare to keep Adrien safe and happy as possible!" Marinette shot back crossly. "Making a wish on the Miraculous comes with _consequences_! What if you get your wife back at the expense of _Adrien's life?_!"

"I am not some simpleton who doesn't know how magic works!" Gabriel said hotly. "I have many years of experience wielding a Miraculous long before you were even a thought in your parents' head! I know how to word my wish to keep _both_ Emilie and Adrien alive, safe, and well!"

"The price will fall on someone else then," Marinette shook her head, "and it would be just as devastating."

"Who cares about _someone else_?" Gabriel said dismissively. "As long as my family is together again the world could burn for all I care."

Marinette shook her heard disbelievingly.

How could someone who had such _noble_ and _loving_ intentions be so _cold_ and _cruel_?

" _You're a monster_!" she cried out. "A monster of the very worst kind because you don't even _see_ what you are doing is _wrong_! To sacrifice someone without a _single thought_? To be so ruthless and brutal in getting what you want that you don't consider other people's feelings and the repercussions of your actions. You are _worse_ than your own hideous creations. Your wife will _hate_ you for what you have become, and Adrien would be so _disgusted_ at you. You won't get them back, you'll lose them for goo-"

 **SMACK!**

The sound of Gabriel Agreste's slap reverberated through the room. Marinette's cheek stung with the pain as she blinked back bewildered tears. Gabriel Agreste was always so composed that she never thought she could actually provoke him into physical violence with her childish words, and on top of that, for some reason, the slap had hurt far more than she expected.

Then she felt a drop of blood roll down her cheek to her chin.

It was a tiny, insignificant, little drop but it was a drop of blood nonetheless.

Gabriel stared down at his own hand just as stunned as she was and she could see the rubies of her earrings sparkle in his hand and it suddenly clicked.

He had just slapped her with the backs of her earrings!

 _He had scratched her with her own Miraculous!_

She didn't know whether to laugh or cry, either way there was a slight bubble of sheer hysteria caught in her throat, and she didn't know what to do.

 _She just wanted to take Tiki and go home!_

"I apologise," Gabriel said stiffly, "I never meant to physically harm you. That was never my intention for this evening."

"Sure," Marinette said sarcastically, unwilling to show how frightened and upset she actually was, "because just drugging me, stealing my Miraculous, and keeping me prisoner i _sn't harming me_!"

"You are not my _prisoner_!" Gabriel protested. "You are my _guest!_ "

" _I'm tied to a bed_!"

"You wouldn't be if you would just _compromise_!" Gabriel said exasperatedly. "I was willing to untie you if you promised to behave and just sit here until I got Chat Noir's Miraculous but _nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo_!" he sounded almost like petulant child as he rolled his eyes melodramatically. "You had to be a goody-two-shoes with all these black and white _morals_ and _ethics_ , and refuse to help me."

" _Of course I refuse to help you!_ " Marinette shrieked. "You're potentially inflicting a great danger onto the world!"

"And _that_ ," Gabriel said triumphantly, "is why you're tied to the bed!"

" _Urgh_!"

"I wouldn't get too wound up about it, Miss Dupain-Cheng," Gabriel said rather patronisingly. Marinette's teeth immediately went on edge as she levelled him with a deadly glare. "You won't be tied up for too long. I will be sending out a live message to Chat Noir and undoubtedly he'll run to your rescue, and by the end of tonight I shall have my wish granted and you can go home to your parents unhar...well," he shot a contrite look at the scratches he had left on her cheek, " _relatively_ unharmed."

" _Ha_!" Marinette spat out. "Joke's on you, _Hawk Moth!_ " she taunted gleefully. "Chat Noir and I don't know each other's secret identities so he won't be coming to my rescue anytime soon! There's no way he would give up his Miraculous was some random civilian."

Never before had she been so glad that she and Chat Noir decided to keep their civilian identities secret from one another! This was exactly the kind of situation they had wanted to avoid! And if it meant she had to be Gabriel Agreste's prisoner for _far_ longer than she ever wished to be, then that's what she was willing to sacrifice to keep Chat and his Miraculous out of Hawk Moth's hands.

"Is that so?" Gabriel said silkily. "Are you so sure you're just s _ome random civilian_ to Chat Noir, Miss Dupain-Cheng?"

"Of course I'm sure!" Marinette said indignantly, "So you're not getting Chat Noir's Miraculous anytime soon and I will find a way to escape these restraints and together we'll defeat you once and for all!"

"Because I happen to recall many, _many,_ times where Chat Noir comes to your rescue very quickly when Marinette Dupain-Cheng is in danger," Gabriel continued as if Marinette had never spoken, "in fact I have noticed quite frequently in my observations through my Akumas that Chat Noir comes to your rescue _far more quickly_ than he does for any other civilian."

Marinette gulped at that.

"And I do believe," Gabriel smirked, "that he has been rather affectionate towards a certain girl in pink to the point it almost rivals his affection for his scarlet lady. So perhaps he does not know Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Ladybug are one and the same," Gabriel shrugged, "but I suspect he would charge straight into the flames of danger for his sweet _damsel in distress_ all the same."

"N-n- _no!_ " Marinette said shakily. "No way! He _wouldn't_!"

"Oh I think he _will_ ," Gabriel said smugly, "so you just sit there like the pretty empty-headed damsel in distress you are and it'll be over before you know it, and who knows? Maybe I'll send you home with an internship for next summer."

" _You and your internship can go to hell_!" Marinette snarled. "I would rather work with the d- _ **hmmph**_!"

He had moved so swiftly that she hadn't seen it coming. One moment he stood there all composed and the next he slapped over a piece of duct tape over her mouth.

" _Much_ better!" he crooned. "Has no one told you, Miss Dupain-Cheng that children should be _seen_ and not heard?"

"HMMPH!"

"I'm sorry," Gabriel grinned, and it _hurt_ because it was such a cheeky, boyish, grin that Marinette was momentarily reminded of Adrien. "I didn't quite catch that, could you repeat that?" she glared up at him fiercely as she refused to play his silly little game. "I thought as much," he said smugly, "I'll be back eventually when it's time to shoot your staring role as Chat Noir's bait. Until then, _don't move_!"

He laughed at his own pathetic joke before he shot her one last triumphant look and left the room with his head held up high like some imperial emperor.

The door barely shut with the quietest click before Marinette immediately started to struggle against her bindings.

 _She had to get out of here!_

She had to escape before Gabriel came back for his stupid video demanding Chat Noir's Miraculous for her safe return!

She had to get Tiki back and kick Gabriel Agreste's arse from here to the other side of Paris before she firmly locked him up to prison, and she had to do it _yesterday_!

 _Chat! Oh Chat!_ She thought desperately to herself. _Whatever you do,_ _ **don't come for me**_ _!_

MLBMLBMLBMLBMLBMLB

Gabriel hummed the entire journey from the guest room on the second floor that he had Miss Dupain-Cheng locked in to his office down on the ground floor. There was a strange flutter of joy inside his chest that he hadn't felt in years.

He just felt so _triumphant_ and _victorious_ for a change!

For once things were finally going his way, and it felt _so good_!

He had been a little bowled over when the glamour of the Miraculous transformation had vanished to reveal a child no older than Adrien. _Younger_ , in fact, as he distinctly recalled the file Nathalie had prepared on the girl and her other classmates. His furious thoughts of crushing the little impertinent bug for all the times she had defied him and delayed his reunion with his beloved had vanished in an instant.

He may be a cold, calculating, bastard but he was a cold, calculating, bastard with _some_ honour.

He wasn't going to lay a hand on a child.

Which was why it shocked him that he allowed himself to be provoked into slapping the girl moments before.

She just had been so _defiant_ despite the fact she was his captive and not the other way round! Her blue eyes blazed with self-righteousness and fury rather than fear and it irked him to no end that she refused to see things his way. That she wouldn't sympathise and empathise with him. That her stupid rules and black and white view of the world was more important than his and Adrien's happiness.

Not that it mattered any more.

He had successfully silenced her and soon enough Chat Noir will come charging in on her behalf. Without Ladybug to back him up, Chat Noir wasn't going to last long in a battle with Hawk Moth, and Gabriel will soon be twice as triumphant as before.

He opened up the safe behind Emilie's portrait and gently placed the earrings inside, they were so small that he was frightened he would accidentally lose them before he got to use them, and then he happily slammed the safe shut and firmly locked it before anything unexpected could happen.

"Tonight, my love," he promised to Emilie's beautiful face, "we shall be together again, _tonight!_ But first," he grinned, "I have to script my video, I have to sound like the perfect villain if we want Chat Noir to come barging in without a care for his own safety, do we not?"

Emilie remained silent and Nathalie, who hovered nearby with the camera at hand already, merely rolled her eyes in response.

….Neither Nathalie nor Gabriel noticed a pair of emerald cat eyes burning with the utmost fury behind a conveniently placed pot plant.

The same pair of green eyes that had followed Gabriel's every step since Ladybug and Adrien had collapsed at the dinner table...


	4. Chapter 4

Adrien was in heaven.

The sky above him was deep and bright blue as the sun shone vibrantly and the matching sea crashed gently against the warm sand beneath his toes. It had been years since he was on a beach like this. Years since he could see white sands and jewel-toned seas and truly relax without a camera being shoved in his face.

He hadn't been on a beach holiday long before his mother vanished.

 _But that didn't matter now!_

He hastily shoved the angst-y thought to back of his head as the most beautiful thing on the beach turned to smile him.

Ladybug.

 _Without_ the mask.

He couldn't quite make out her face. It was familiar to him but he couldn't quite put his finger on _**why**_ as everything felt too fuzzy to focus. He didn't mind though. Ladybug's radiant smile shone brighter than the sun and her frilly, one piece, scarlet and black polka dotted, swimsuit revealed miles and miles of perfect, creamy, skin begging to be touched.

This was paradise.

"Adrien," Ladybug said huskily, "what are you thinking about?"

"How beautiful you are," he said simply and truthfully. She blushed prettily and he reached out and pulled her close so he could breathe in that sweet cookie smell and feel her soft hair tickle his cheek as he nuzzled close. "What are you thinking about, My Lady?"

Ladybug pulled away, her blue eyes sparkly with mirth as she opened her mouth and -

Slapped him with a furry banana.

Adrien blinked, startled as he touched his cheek. His eyes were wide with disbelieve as he tried to take in what he could see. A thin, black, furry banana firmly held between Ladybug's delicate little fingers.

She slapped him again, and again, and again, and again, and again. His face on either side burnt from the weird sensation as Ladybug refused to relent with her beating.

Where did she even get a furry banana?!

 _Did furry bananas even exist?!_

"Kid!" Ladybug called out in Plagg's voice. " _You've got to wake up_! C'mon Kid, this ain't a joke! **Wake up**!"

" _Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!_ "

A horrified gasp ripped itself out of his lips as Adrien's eyes suddenly shot open to see Plagg's face zoomed in so close that they were almost kissing.

Adrien sat up so quickly he headbutted his Kwami across the room. "WHAT THE HELL PLAGG?!" he yelled. "Have you ever heard of _boundaries_?!"

"And _good morning_ to you too, Sunshine," Plagg said snarkily as he rubbed his head, "I could just let you continue with your beauty sleep, _Cheese knows_ you need it, but if you could just try to remember what happened before you went to sleep-"

Adrien fell back onto his bed. His head still felt heavy with sleep and his body wasn't quite ready to move yet. He felt warm, and cosy, and wanted to close his eyes again and drift back into paradise with his Lady...

"Ladybug came over for dinner," Adrien mumbled sleepily, and then suddenly his very last waking memory crashed over him and his eyes bugged out in humiliated horror. " _Oh God!_ " he groaned as he clutched at his hair and pulled at it. "Tell me I didn't fall asleep on my dinner in front of Ladybug?"

"I wish I could, Kid," Plagg said, "I wish I cou- nah," he grinned, "who am I kidding? That part was _hilarious_!"

Adrien moaned.

Someone kill him now!

He was never going to be able to look in his Lady's eye again after this, the embarrassment was going to choke him.

" _But!_ " Plagg's eyes flashed with sudden, uncharacteristic, seriousness. "I can tease you about that later. There's more important problems at hand."

"I just humiliated myself in front of the girl _I love_ ," Adrien whined, "what could be more important than _that_?"

"Oh I don't know, Kid!" Plagg rolled his eyes exasperatedly. "Probably the fact that your father has _the girl you love_ tied to a bed upstairs somewhere."

"WHAT?!"

Adrien spluttered as the most disturbing and creepy thoughts flashed through his mind. Surely his father wouldn't...! Ladybug wouldn't...! _He was old enough to be her father, dammit_!

"I _know_!" Plagg nodded. "I couldn't believe that your father was Hawk Moth either, especially since we ruled him out months ago."

"Wait," Adrien blinked rapidly. His head was still fuzzy from sleep and confusion as he tried to comprehend exactly what Plagg had just said. " **WHAT**?!" He yelped.

"Oh boy, you take the blonde thing seriously," Plagg rolled his eyes, "I'll break this down so you can understand it. Your father is _**EVIL**_ and he had _**DRUGGED**_ both you and Ladybug with the soup earlier this evening, and then _**TIED LADYBUG UP.**_ He's currently got her Miraculous locked tight in that stupid safe of his and is working on a video to send Chat Noir in hopes of luring you over and stealing yours."

Adrien's mouth dropped open.

On one hand, it wasn't as disturbingly horrifying as he originally thought, but on the other hand – his father was _Hawk Fucking Moth_! His _arch-nemesis_! The biggest bad guy in Paris! The evil villain that has been possessing his friends!

And he has captured Adrien's lady love!

He had to rescue her and the Miraculous!

"Plagg!" He cried out desperately. "We have to save Ladybug and her Miraculous!"

"No shit, Kid," Plagg sneered, "And luckily for you, _I_ have a plan because I am not leaving my other half in your father's grimy hands any longer than necessary and if I were you I wouldn't want to leave the girl here much longer either."

"Where is Father now?" Adrien asked.

"In his office," Plagg replied immediately, "so is that Nathalie woman and the Gorilla is keeping guard down in the foyer. Everyone else has gone home."

"And Ladybug?" Adrien asked worriedly.

"Blue frilly guest room upstairs somewhere."

Adrien nodded his head. "I know where that is," he murmured, "getting the Miraculous back will be risky with everyone downstairs."

"Yeah it is," Plagg nodded in agreement, "but we're good with risks."

"Not always," Adrien pointed out, "luck usually runs against us."

"I know which is why," Plagg looked as if he swallowed something distasteful and cheese-less, "we should save the girl, not the Miraculous."

Adrien blinked, dumbfounded. "...what?" he said blankly. "But...what about your other half? Don't you want to save her – or him?" he tacked on hastily.

" _Her,_ " Plagg said firmly, "and I do, more than _anything_ ," he coughed awkwardly and quickly turned away so Adrien couldn't see the hurt, worry, and fear etched onto his face. It was too late though. Adrien had already seen it. "But I have to be the rational one today and the logical thing isn't to go in guns blazing and snatch back the Miraculous. That's just asking for ours to be taken away too."

"Okay," Adrien said slowly, "but if we save just Ladybug we're still short one Miraculous and Fa- _Hawk Moth_ ," he corrected quickly, refusing to think of that man as his father right now, "will still have Ladybug's Miraculous."

"Ah," Plagg grinned, "but you're forgetting Kid, we have _Master Fu_!"

Adrien blinked.

He had only met Master Fu properly just the once when the old man pretended to be his Chinese tutor and delivered multi-coloured cheeses for Plagg to transform with. There had been a brief discussion about how Master Fu was a the Guardian of the Miraculous and how he had chosen Adrien specifically, and that Ladybug was his other half, and why it would be catastrophic if Hawk Moth was to ever get his hands on the Miraculous, but to be honest there was nothing overtly helpful.

Like his home address.

"But I don't know where Master Fu _lives_!" Adrien protested. "How can I ask him for help?"

" _You_ don't know where Master Fu lives," Plagg said pointedly, "but _Ladybug_ does. So if we rescue the girl and then _flee,_ " he grimaced at that particular word, "we can recruit some help and form a plan to rescue _**my**_ girl, understand?"

"A tactical retreat," Adrien nodded understandingly, "I get it, but what about _you?_ Are you okay with this plan?"

"I have to be," Plagg said grimly, "Tiki wouldn't have it any other way. If I abandoned her chosen to the mercies of the enemy in favour of rescuing Tiki instead, she would _never_ forgive me."

"All right," Adrien murmured softly, "then let's rescue a damsel in distress. Plagg!" he called out. " _Transform me!_ "

The magic washed over Adrien and for the first time since he woke up he actually felt awake and alive. His mind cleared and everything sharpened, and he tried to not think about how this was probably the transformation washing out the last remnants of the drug in his system.

He didn't want to think about what Hawk Moth had done to him.

He was _**Chat Noir**_ now, and he had a mission.

He had a Lady to rescue and a bad guy to put in prison!

Chat Noir peered round his bedroom door to see that Plagg was quite right. No one was on this floor. His glanced round before his eyes locked onto the surveillance camera in the hallway. He had always thought that was there because his father was a paranoid uptight businessman.

Now he knew it was because his father was a villain.

He tried to push that thought away.

 _Think of Ladybug_! Chat thought to himself fiercely. _She needs you_!

That thought spurred him on and as soon as the camera moved to look at a different angle, he shot out of his room and pounced across the hallway. He landed so lightly that no one should be able to hear him though he was careful to glance over the banister to ensure the Gorilla wasn't looking up.

The Gorilla had his back to him as he read the newspaper.

 _ **Purr** -fect!_

He leaped elegantly towards the stairs leading to the next floor up. He had never really bothered going up there in years. No one had. Not since before His mother...but the maids kept everything spick and span, and there wasn't a single lint of dust to be seen.

Chat Noir raced round the corridor to the end bedroom.

It had been his mother's for the nights Father woke up with a new idea and insisted on working it straight away. Mother used to say that Father was _impossible_ to sleep beside when he had an idea and she needed as much sleep as she could -

 _Ladybug!_ He shouted silently to himself. _Think about Ladybug!_

He reached the bedroom door and without a single hesitation he barged right in.

His eyes widened when he saw Marinette all trussed up like a Christmas goose with her wrists tied to the headboard and her ankles bound together and a piece of sickly silver duct tape slapped over her pretty pink lips.

There were scratch marks on her cheek as well.

Scratch marks that she didn't have when she arrived for dinner earlier.

Marinette had been hurt under his own roof.

 _Marinette!_

Her own, big, bluebell eyes widened at the sight of him. " **HMMPH**!" she shrieked beneath her gag.

 _Anyone but **her**!_

His father could have done this to anyone else, anyone at all, Chloe, Nino, Alya, _anyone_ but Marinette, and it wouldn't evoke the blood boiling, bone trembling, sickening rise of sheer fury that was within him now.

He could _**Cataclysm**_ his father for this!

He really could.

How dare his father lay a single hand on the girl he cherished more than anything else in the world?

 _How dare he?!_

"HMMPH!" Marinette shrieked again. "HM-HM-HMMPH!"

Chat Noir shook his head and snapped back into action as he stride across the bedroom and immediately ripped off the duct tape of Marinette's mouth. The skin round her lips was red raw while her lips had a swollen effect to them that made it all the more tempting to steal a kiss.

 _Rescue first_! He reminded himself.

"Chat Noir!" Marinette gasped as a couple tears sprang down her cheeks. " _You shouldn't be here_! It's a _trap_! Hawk Moth is-"

" _Shh! Shh!_ Princess," Chat murmured soothingly, "It's okay, I _know_. Hawk Moth doesn't know I'm here. I got here long before he sent me any sort of message."

"You did?" Marinette said hopefully. "But how did you know-"

"Ah Bugaboo," he winked, "you know I have my _sauces._ "

Marinette let out a strangled groan that almost bordered a hysterical laugh at his terribly forced pun. Chat felt his heart squeeze at the blatant underlying fear in her voice. _He had to get her out of here!_

"Hold still," he warned her.

And then he immediately shredded the ropes round her wrist. His claws dug in and simply tore them to pieces as if they were made out of paper. It helped that he imagined they were _Hawk Moth_ for hurting Marinette so much. He then flung himself back to the end of the bed and sliced through the bindings on Marinette's ankles.

Marinette sat up immediately and before Chat Noir could even register that she was alive, and well, and moving, she scrambled across the bed and threw her arms round his neck. His own arms wrapped themselves round her waist without hesitation as he nuzzled her floral scented hair.

"Let's go, My Lady," Chat scooped Marinette into his arms as he stood up, "I don't want to be around when Hawk Moth drops in again."

" _Wait_!" Marinette cried out. Though she leaned into his touch and rested her head on his shoulder without hesitation. "What about my Miraculous?! I can't leave Tiki behind!"

"We'll come back," He promised her, "but first we need to regroup and come up with a plan and some reinforcements."

Marinette nodded in agreement but he felt her tighten her hold on his neck and her whole body shudder at the thought of abandoning her Kwami.

"We'll get her back," he said firmly, "I promise."

And on that note he flung them both out of the window and to freedom of the dark sky and cool breeze of a Parisian evening.

They will be back, and his father better watch out.

For Ladybug and Chat Noir were _**always**_ victorious.


	5. Chapter 5

Marinette clung tightly to Chat Noir's neck.

This night had been an absolutely roller-coaster for emotions. First she had been giddy, excited, and nervous about having dinner with Adrien and Gabriel Agreste, then it had been swallowed up by that awkward and downhearted sensation when she flopped at making a conversation with Adrien as he fell asleep in his soup bowl, and then the sheer unabating terror at finding out that Gabriel Agreste was Hawk Moth and he held her captive. The fear only got worse and more horrifying when she realised that Tiki had been taken and that Chat Noir was in the same danger as her before the relief of being rescued crashed over her. And now she felt nothing but safety and security, in the warmth of her best friend's (after Alya) arms.

She almost passed out from the exhaustion of these emotions. It was hard to believe it had only been a handful of hours since she was fretting over _what to wear to dinner._ It all seemed so frivolous now.

She tightened her hold on Chat's neck and took another deep breath to inhale his comforting, warm, oddly cheese-tinted scent.

And then suddenly everything crashed over her again.

She was scared and guilty that she had left Tiki behind. What would happen to Tiki while she was gone? What would Hawk Moth do to her? Gabriel Agreste didn't seem to _want_ to hurt Marinette but he also didn't hesitate to slap her, _what if he hurts Tiki?_

Marinette wouldn't be able to live with herself if something happened to her dearest and cutest friend.

Then there was the fact that Chat Noir knew who she was. Her identity had been blown, the secret she had held onto so tightly. The secret she had promised Tiki and Master Fu she would always keep. The fact that she must have disappointed them both stung bitterly on top of the heavy weight of guilt and fear.

And then there was the fact _that Chat Noir knew who she was!_ A million little worries suddenly popped up. Was he disappointed that she was so clumsy and plain and normal compared to the ideal image he had of Ladybug? Did he still like her? Did he hate her? Did he think lowly of her for falling for Hawk Moth's trap? Was he going to dump her at Master Fu and ask for a smarter, stronger, and better partner?

Worry gnawed at her as she tightened her hold even more round Chat's neck and buried her face further into the crook of his neck. If she didn't let go he couldn't leave her.

He halted to a stop on a rooftop somewhere. Marinette had no idea where exactly they were apart from far away and safe from Hawk Moth, and currently these were the most important factors to think about. It was then when Chat Noir tried to lower Marinette back onto her feet but she resolutely held on as her arms tightened to almost a choke hold.

"Marinette," Chat murmured gently against her hair, "I need you to let go," Marinette shook her head as she buried her face further into his neck. She was so close now that if she got closer she might accidentally melt into her partner. " _Marinette_!" Chat said sharply. "I need you to let go!"

"No!" Marinette cried out against his suit. "I _won't_ let go!"

"If you don't let go," Chat said in a softer but still firm voice, "then how will you show me the way to Master Fu's?"

Marinette stiffened at that.

She knew it!

He was going to get rid off her for another partner!

 _She just knew it!_

The sheer agony and distress this caused was almost overwhelming as she felt her eyes prick with humiliating tears. The thought that she disappointed Chat so badly that he wanted to get rid off her for someone better, stronger, and cleverer than she was hurt almost too much for her to comprehend. She knew she screwed up badly. Hell that was an understatement, she _fucked up_ well and truly to let herself be tricked out of her Miraculous in such a manner. She deserved to be banned from superheroing from this point onwards. To be reprimanded by the public and shamed out of Paris once and for all for letting Hawk Moth get one step closer to his goal.

It didn't matter if Gabriel Agreste was sincere in only wanting his wife back and nothing more, Master Fu had made it explicitly clear that a wish made on the Miraculous would have dire consequences for the world at large.

It would be her fault if the apocalypse started in Paris.

"M-M-Master F-F-Fu's?" she managed to stammer out instead. "Y-y-you want to go to _Master Fu's_?!"

"We need to regroup and gather some reinforcements, remember?" Chat reminded her. "Where else would we go? Master Fu has the Fox Miraculous at least and maybe some helpful tips too."

"You want to replace me," she whispered.

She hadn't meant to let that slip but she was exhausted and overwrought with so many negative emotions that it was a wonder that a _whole fleet_ of Akumas hadn't tracked them down already.

"What?!" Chat yelped. " _No!_ Why would I want to replace you?"

"I _failed_ ," Marinette said miserably, "there's no other way of saying it. I failed at being Ladybug. Hawk Moth has my Miraculous. I have endangered my Kwami, you, and the whole of Paris because I let Hawk Moth trick me."

"Hawk Moth tricked us _both_ ," Chat corrected, "I thought he was innocent too after he got Akumatised. _He tricked us both_. If you have failed then I have failed too, My Lady, and you wouldn't replace me, would you?"

"Not for anyone in the world," Marinette breathed out, "I couldn't ask for a better friend or partner than you."

"And I couldn't ask for anyone better than _you,_ " Chat said with such sincerity that it made Marinette's heart do a little flutter. "I could never find someone kinder or cleverer or more compassionate or more creative than you. I could never replace you, Marinette."

" _Oh!_ " Marinette flushed brightly at that. _She couldn't help it!_ He was just so sincere and sweet that her cheeks burned involuntary with flattered pleasure at his compliment. "So, erm, ah, you're not dis-dis-disappointed or angry with me?"

She thought she would double-check.

Just in case.

" _Never_!" Chat said firmly as he plucked her hand up and pressed a light kiss on her knuckles as he always done before. However, unlike the usual, her hand was no longer covered by her suit, and the light brush of his lips and the warmth of his breath as he exhaled against her skin. It left a strangely pleasant tingle. "I'm afraid you're stuck with me, Princess. For better or worse," he wagged his eyebrows mischievously, "for richer or poorer, in sickness and in-"

"All right, all right!" Marinette quickly pulled her hand away as her cheeks turned hot and she suddenly felt more flustered than she should. "I think I get the picture, Kitty. There's no need to go on and on when we have a Kwami and a city to save. We have to get to Master Fu's now."

Chat grinned as he bent over in an exaggerated bow. "Just lead the way," he purred out as his green eyes sparkled with satisfaction, " _My Lady_."

Marinette lifted her head up high with pride as she did precisely that.

Hawk Moth might have won the battle but Marinette and Chat Noir was going to win the _war._

Just you wait and see.

MLBMLBMLBMLBMLBMLB

Chat Noir thought about telling Marinette about his civilian identity.

It had, in fact, been on the very tip of his tongue the moment he knew they were far enough from the mansion for it to be safe but Marinette was so distraught and guilt-ridden about being tricked by Hawk Moth that he pushed it to the back burner in order to provide the comfort and reassurance his Lady needed.

And now he wasn't sure he could _ever_ tell her.

How could he tell her that he was the son of Hawk Moth?

She said she could never replace him now but if she knew the truth would she ever _trust_ him again? _Could_ she ever trust him again? He loved his father, and had trusted him. He was just as hurt and bitter to find out that the man whose approval he craved most was the same man that had turned his friends into monsters and had ordered them to erase him from time itself, lock him in a freezer, kidnap him, and beat him up. _And that was just on the top of his mind!_ He was sure of he thought about his battles in more depth he would find more terrible things to add to that list. Yet, it was still _his father_ and could he, _Adrien Agreste,_ be able to put that aside and fight Hawk Moth as Chat Noir without his feelings getting in the way?

Chat Noir didn't even trust himself right now so why would _Marinette_?

On top of it all he didn't think he could bear to see Marinette hate him as she rightly deserved to. The thought of her loving gaze turning into stone upon seeing him or her sweet smile becoming a pinched frown of distrust filled with him dread.

There's no doubt that she would pick _that other guy_ if she knew Adrien Agreste was Chat Noir.

And that was a thought that broke his heart.

The moment he found out that Ladybug was Marinette was the moment that Chat Noir realised he had never loved her more than he had in that very moment. Ladybug being Marinette had only made her _more_ incredible, _more_ beautiful, and more...well just _more!_ He may have just fallen in love with her all over again as she had thrown her arms round him.

It would kill him to have Marinette hate him.

So his stomach churned as he decided to not to tell her his civilian identity. The secret felt heavy on his tongue and he felt like a deceptive monster to not be upfront and honest with his partner. The unfairness of knowing her identity while she didn't know his weighed upon him, getting heavier and heavier by the second.

But Marinette didn't ask for his identity.

She just guided him through the streets of Paris with her head held up proud and determined as she turned to shoot him small smiles that seemed to be asking for reassurance every so often.

He smiled back each and ever time.

Or at least, he hoped he did. He was so full of guilt, dread, anger, and hatred for his father that he wouldn't be surprised if he had just grimaced in reply. He must have done something right though because Marinette always looked brighter and happier when he smiled back.

Eventually they ended up in a massage parlour not far from Marinette's own home. It appeared to be a small studio that doubled up as someone's home judging by the front door. Adrien had blinked bewilderedly. He would never have guessed someone as mystical as the _Guardian of the Miraculous_ would live so close and in such an ordinary place.

He was kinda expecting a mystical cave somewhere outside of the city or a hidden magical garden within the park or something.

This was a serious major let down.

Marinette knocked.

It took some time but eventually the front door was opened by a small, elderly, Chinese man in a Hawaiian shirt that Adrien has met only once before. Master Fu had taken the time, many weeks ago now, to go undercover as Adrien's Chinese tutor to pass on the magical multi-coloured cheeses for additional transformation and also to inform Adrien on things he had previously only told Ladybug. If it hadn't been for this moment Adrien would have also been disappointed at how boring and ordinarily the supposedly mystical Guardian of the Miraculous actually looked.

If Adrien didn't know better he would never have looked at this man twice on the street.

"Marinette," Master Fu's eyes widened, "and _Chat Noir_. This is a pleasant surprise. What brings you both to my door?"

Marinette instantly crumpled. "I am sorry Master Fu," she whispered as she bowed her head, "but I have failed you. Hawk Moth has Tiki."

Something in Master's Fu's eyes hardened and suddenly he no longer appeared to be a small, sweet, elderly man but someone tough and strong. Someone to _not_ be trifled with. "I see then we shall have to do our very best to rescue her, won't we?" Master Fu said. His voice still sounded kind despite his sudden change in aura. "Come in, come in, you must tell me everything."

"It's my fault!" Marinette blurted out as they both stepped into the room and the door firmly shut behind them. "It turns out we were right all those months ago, Gabriel Agreste _is_ Hawk Moth. I had let myself be taken in by his fame and the fatherly persona he presented himself with and stupidly accepted a dinner invitation. He drugged me and took Tiki away."

"I see," Master Fu frowned, "how unusual of Hawk Moth to change his tactics after so long. And I take it you only got away because Chat Noir arrived _exceptionally early_ to rescue you?"

Marinette nodded.

Chat Noir had opened his mouth to mention Plagg's plan when a little green turtle Kwami appeared by Master Fu's side. It look stern and serious as it frowned at them both. "Am I hearing this right?" it murmured disapprovingly. "Tiki has now been captured alongside Nooroo? And you still believe that _these two_ were the right choice?"

Marinette flinched as if she had been slapped while Chat Noir closed his own mouth with an audible snap.

A terrible thought had just occurred to him.

Why had _he_ , of all people, been chosen to be Chat Noir?

He was not particularly the greatest superhero (that undoubtedly went to Marinette) as he continued to be the first beaten down or brainwashed by the Akuma, and he never felt particularly talented to be a hero either. He was a model. The only thing he felt he was good at most days was just standing there looking pretty as other more talented and artistic people dressed him, did his make up, and took his photo.

So why had he, _Adrien Agreste_ , been chosen to be Chat Noir when there had to be far superior choices out there?

Could it be that he was only chosen because his father was Hawk Moth and Master Fu needed a man on the inside?

The thought was incredibly disheartening.

"Hush Wayzz," Master Fu said firmly, "I stand by my choice still. Marinette and this young man here are the perfect people to be Ladybug and Chat Noir."

Chat felt his heart sink at that.

He was only chosen because of his father.

There was nothing _special_ about him.

"Besides," Master Fu said cheerfully, "Hawk Moth shall not have Tiki or Nooroo for long tonight. I assume you are both here to regroup and gather reinforcements?"

"Plagg had suggested it," Chat Noir said numbly.

"Did he indeed?" Master Fu's eyes twinkled in amusement. "How unusually _sensible_ of Plagg!"

"Very unusual," Wayzz muttered.

Master Fu had ignored his Kwami as he gestured Marinette and Chat Noir to sit down round his very low, large, table. Chat obeyed as he found himself sat cross-legged beside Marinette and opposite the strange Hawaiian shirt wearing man.

"I know I have failed you," Marinette said quietly but determinedly. Her big, blue, eyes had that usual fierce spark that promised retribution and justice to all that it always had during Akuma battles. It was one of the many, _many,_ things that Chat loved about her. "But if you were to give me another Miraculous temporarily I will make amends. I will rescue Tiki and put a stop to Hawk Moth tonight."

"Oh," Master Fu said dismissively, "I do not think you need another Miraculous. I have faith that _Marinette_ is more than sufficient enough to lead a rescue on her own."

Marinette's eyes widened with surprise and horror at that. "But...but...but...!" she stammered out squeakily.

"Like Hawk Moth," Master Fu said gently, "what we need is a simple but clever plan. You shall need reinforcements undoubtedly but you do not need another Miraculous yourself. I think you'll find that the _illusion_ that there is more of you is far more effective than managing a virtual army of abilities that you don't know."

Marinette's eyes widened at the word illusion. "You mean...?"

"Yes," Master Fu stood up and made his way towards the large, ornate, phonograph. Chat Noir watched in utter awe as it slowly opened up to reveal a array of secret compartments filled with bright, colourful, items of jewellery. _A box of miracles!_ He couldn't help but think in awe. "I believe Rena Rouge will be most helpful in our rescue of Tiki."

"...As in I should be Rena Rouge or that I should _go and fetch_ Rena Rouge?" Marinette asked hesitatingly.

"Well," Master Fu smiled, "you are the _only one_ who knows Rena Rouge's secret identity."

Marinette paled rapidly at that as she gulped audibly. "Oh no!" she breathed out in dismay. "She's going to _kill_ me!"

"Now, now," Master Fu patted Marinette on the back. "I am sure the young lady in question will be very understanding now she has had a taste of what it is like to be a Miraculous Holder herself. She's not likely to be angry with you for keeping an important secret."

Marinette grimaced at that. "I hope not," she mumbled.

Master Fu placed a small box that looked achingly familiar to Chat in front of Marinette. It was the same sort of box that he had found his Miraculous and Plagg in what quite honestly felt like a century ago now.

"The sooner Rena Rouge is here," Master Fu said mildly, "the sooner we can rescue Tiki."

Marinette took in a deep breath as she clearly pulled on her inner strength and courage that he had always admired so much. " _All right_ ," she breathed out as she picked up the box, "all right," she repeated firmly, "I'll go and get Rena."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Chat asked worriedly.

"No, no," Marinette shook her head and smiled weakly, "I think it's best if I did it by myself."

"Oh," Chat murmured a little dejectedly, "Okay."

"Hey," Marinette smile turned brighter and stronger, "I'll be back before you know it and then we'll fix this together, right?"

She reached out and offered him a fist.

They've never really fist-bumped outside of celebration of their victory.

So this...this felt like something special, something _more_ , something precious...

This felt like a promise.

Chat grinned back. "Together," he vowed as tapped his own fist lightly against hers.

Marinette then stood up, muttered quick goodbyes to Master Fu, Wayzz, and Chat, and then dashed out of the apartment. This left Chat Noir to sit in a silent room as he awkwardly tried to not stare at Master Fu (who had no problems gazing at Chat Noir as if he was the most fascinating thing since sliced bread and quite frankly Chat found that incredibly creepy). The silence steadily grew to a suffocating level when Master Fu finally smiled and turned away.

"I think I shall make some tea," Master Fu said calmly, "and then I believe you have some questions for me."

"Yes," Chat said quietly, "I do."

MLBMLBMLBMLBMLBMLB

Alya was trying to do her homework.

At least, that's what she told her mother. In reality she was trying to hunt down further mentions of the Miraculous on the internet. Now that she knew that the power came from items with little spirit guides she could easily deduce that there's been generations of different Ladybugs and Chat Noirs throughout time. And possibly many more as well. She was a fox superhero for two brief brilliant times in her life now and there is likely to be more different animal themed superheroes throughout history.

So far she was studying every myth that involved people being animals or guided by spirit animals in hopes to find a grain of truth that matched up her own experience.

It was tedious but absorbing work.

So absorbing that Alya had missed the loud knocks on her front door.

"ALYA!" Nora bellowed. "IT'S MARINETTE!"

"Nora!" Mum scolded loudly. "Must you shout? You're frightening the poor girl."

At that Alya quickly burst out of her bedroom before poor Marinette decided to run off. Marinette may have met Nora several times now but her older sister was so loud and brash and rude that it was quite easy to be scared off by her. God knows _Nino_ stopped coming over as often as he used too after Nora threatened him.

Alya didn't want Marinette to stop coming over because Nora was in one of her moods again.

"Hey Girl!" Alya greeted Marinette enthusiastically. "What's up?"

Marinette stared at Alya in horror. Her big baby blue eyes were wide with fear as her face turned an unnaturally grey sickly kind of pale. It didn't help that Nora patted Marinette on the back so hard that the girl almost collapsed on her knees. Alya rolled her eyes. Her big sister was _such a pain!_ She immediately took pity on her best friend and snatched up one of Marinette's clammy hands.

"Why don't we go to my room to catch up?" she suggested.

Marinette nodded wordlessly and allowed herself to be all but pulled and pushed into Alya's bedroom. As soon as the bedroom door snapped to a shut Alya thought Marinette might perk up a bit and relax without Nora hovering nearby.

Instead, if it was possible, Marinette looked even sicker than before.

"Hey," Alya said gently, "what's bothering you, Girl? Are you ill? Do you need me to call your parents?"

"No!" Marinette shook her head so fast that her pigtails slapped her in the face. " _Please don't!_ " she squeaked. "I'm not ill! I just..." she trailed off hopelessly.

"It's not Adrien, is it?" Alya asked suspiciously. "Please don't tell me you finally crossed that line and was caught by that ogre of a father of his spying on Adrien getting undressed."

"I WOULD NEVER!" Marinette shrieked. She looked so utterly mortified that Alya almost burst out laughing right there and then. " _Alya!_ " she cried out indignantly as she blushed crimson red. "Who do you take me for? Some sort of creepy fangirl?"

"Well," Alya grinned, "in a word – _yes!_ "

" _Hmmph_!" Marinette glowered. Her eyes promised retribution for such teasing but at least she no longer looked like she was going to puke all over Alya's floor, and that was the main thing. "Well, the thing is," Marinette bit her lip nervously, "my problem does kinda involve Adrien's father. You see...well...I..."

"Come on Marinette!" Alya cried exasperatedly. "Spit it out. Is it about your designs? Have you become his intern or something and freaking out? Has he discovered your feelings for Adrien and using an internship to bribe you to stay away from Adrien? Has he forbidden your love for Adrien? Have you and Adrien been secretly going out and _you never told me?!_ Is that why you and Adrien keep dis-"

"Gabriel Agreste is Hawk Moth!" Marinette suddenly blurted out.

Alya blinked.

That really was the last thing she expected Marinette to say.

( _Seriously Marinette and Adrien being in a secret relationship since day one because Gabriel Agreste disapproved was higher on the list than_ _ **that!**_ )

It took a moment for Alya to collect her thoughts when a thousand questions were suddenly on the tip of her tongue. Was Marinette sure? How does she know? How did she find out? Did Adrien know? What was Gabriel Agreste's motive to masquerade as a super villain at least once a week? What was he hoping to achieve by acting out like a cheesy anime villain? Was this some conspiracy to skew the fashion market into his favour?

But before she could ask any of these Marinette dropped another bomb.

"And he has kidnapped my Kwami!" She carried on as she opened up her pink bag and pulled out a very familiar wooden box. "And I need Rena Rouge's help to rescue her!"

There was a beat of silence as it sunk into Alya just what Marinette and said and exactly what it had meant, and then -

" **WHAT?!** "


	6. Chapter 6

The silence was annoyingly peaceful and content.

At least, it was for _Master Fu_ who seemed quite happy to take his time to set out the tea cups and boil the kettle, and painfully scoop out the right amount of tea leaves. He didn't utter a single word as he looked calmed and warmed simultaneously by the steaming cup in his hands. It was a rather frustrating sight to behold.

Especially since Chat Noir felt like the complete opposite.

Nervous energy thrummed through his entire being as he fidgeted in his seat, tapped his foot against the floor, and drummed his fingers on the tabletop. He wanted to both get up and run away and stay put and demand his answers loudly. He was all agitation, nerves, anxiety, irritation, and maybe, just a little, only a smidge, _sad._

He kept opening his mouth only to close it when no words came out.

Master Fu took a small, serene, sip from his tea.

Chat twiddled his thumbs.

"Now then," Master Fu said gently, "what would you like to ask first?"

"Why was I chosen to be Chat Noir?"

The question flew past his lips before he could even think about it.

He should probably ask other things first, like what were they going to do next? How could Marinette be expected to fight without her Miraculous? Or some other clever, strategic, question that could help the plan their rescue of Marinette's Kwami.

But he couldn't help it.

He wanted – _needed_ – to know why he had been chosen.

He had to know whether he was truly special (and if so, _**why?**_ Because he often felt like he was nothing more than a pretty face) or if it was because he could be used.

He so desperately wished it was because he was special.

"Well," Master Fu said calmly, "quite simply because you and Marinette were the only ones that fit the requirements and passed the test."

"Requirements?" Chat repeated, a tight knot of dread twisted in his stomach. "What kind of requirements?"

"All of the Miraculous are special," Master Fu explained, "But Tiki and Plagg are _extra_ special. They are two halves of a whole and so the people who wield them should also be two halves of a whole."

Chat inhaled sharply at the implication.

Two halves of a whole.

He and Marinette were _two halves of a whole_.

They were _soulmates._

This wasn't really a big surprise for him as he had known the moment he saw Ladybug stand up to Hawk Moth on that second day that she was the one for him. And now he knew she was Marinette he was even more convinced that they were made for one another. They both liked the same sort of music, and games, and films, and food, and they had the same principles and morals, but they were different in a way that complimented one another. She was artistic where he was academic, she designed where he modelled, and she had restraint where he was impulsive.

And sometimes vice versa when Marinette's noisiness got the better of her.

They fitted together like jigsaw pieces.

Despite this though he could still feel his cheeks rapidly burn a crimson red as he let out a long, drawn out, exhale.

"Oh," he mumbled, "those sort of requirements."

Master Fu's eyes twinkled knowingly. "As the Guardian of the Miraculous, it is one of my duties to keep an eye out for potential Miraculous Holders," he carried on mercifully, "you and Marinette were one of the very few pairs I watched over for Tiki and Plagg. I've had my eye on the pair of you since you were about five? Maybe six."

"You were _**spying**_ on us?!"

"Not exactly," Master Fu said mildly, "just if I happened to be the same area I would keep a close watch to see if you were suitable."

Chat Noir shuddered at that.

He always thought his father was paranoid as hell but now he knew that someone actually was watching him as he grew up (and _not just the media_!), he was beginning to see there was a method to his father's madness. Though the fact that his father was Hawk Moth also made sense for him to be paranoid reclusive man.

"The day Hawk Moth chose to go down the wrong path was the day I tested my selections," Master Fu continued solemnly, "and you and Marinette passed my test. You had proven yourself to be brave and compassionate which are traits the Black Cat desperately need in times like this."

"How?" Chat croaked. " _When_?"

He couldn't remember a single time he had seen this man before the day he came to 'tutor' him in Chinese. Master Fu was so ordinary and nondescript despite his outlandish Hawaiian shirts, that he could have been in the background for every moment in his life and Chat would still not remember him.

"Your first day of school, supposedly," Master Fu smiled, "you could have gone in and get what you wanted but instead you sacrificed your chance to go to school to help a little old man who had fallen."

Oh _that._

He could barely remember that at all. In fact he only ever looked at the moment and felt a great urge to kick himself. Yes, he got what he wanted in the end, but he missed out on the first real day of school and a chance to make a better first impression on Marinette, all because he couldn't resist he initial impulse to help a poor, struggling, old man who turned out to be able to move way too quickly for someone who had fallen.

It never occurred to him that something that was basic human courtesy and good manners was considered brave and compassionate.

"It was very selfless of you," Master Fu said quietly as if he could read Chat's thoughts, "you had wanted to go to school for so long and you gave it up to help me. Trust me when I tell you that not many people would do the same."

"You said Marinette and I were the only people who passed," Chat said worriedly, "did you get hurt that day?"

"Oh don't you worry about me," Master Fu waved a dismissive hand, "I'm far sturdier than I look. This was hardly the first time I had to test people and it won't be the last time either."

That didn't really reassure him but he could tell that Master Fu didn't want to talk about himself for much longer and decided to let it go, this time that is...

"So," Chat coughed, "you didn't choose me because of my father?"

"Of course not!" Master Fu exclaimed. "As hard as it might be for you to believe that was a genuine coincidence. I had no inkling on who Hawk Moth could have been at the time I chose you to be Chat Noir."

"When did you begin to suspect my father could be Hawk Moth?"

"Ah," Master Fu smiled sheepishly, "around the time that Marinette had brought me that interesting book of yours. I long suspected that it was in the possession of Hawk Moth and I knew _you_ couldn't have been Hawk Moth, so it had to be someone close to you."

Chat blinked at that.

Marinette had the book the entire time?

He knew someone from school had it but his father never said which of his friends brought it back. In hindsight he should have known ' _that stammering wreck of a girl_ ' was Marinette but his father was so intimidating (and now he knew why! Intimidating was an important trait for _villains_!) that it could have been anyone (but Chloe). He wished he could have thanked her then for making sure he got back to school. Oh well, he would have to remember in the near future.

"How could he be Akumatised if he was Hawk Moth?"

"Oh, that one is easy," Master Fu said eagerly, "one of the abilities of the butterfly brooch is that you don't have to maintain a transformation to keep a person Akumatised. I have no doubt your father made an Akuma, de-transformed, and allowed himself to be possessed. Quite clever of him, I must say."

"You knew he could have been Hawk Moth and you let Marinette return the book?!" Chat yelped. " _How could you do that to her?_!"

"Well, we photocopied the pages first so we wouldn't be left at a disadvantage," Master Fu shrugged, "and Marinette was warned repeatedly to keep your father under suspicion. It was unfortunate that he had the perfect method to keep her distracted."

He shot Chat Noir a pointed look at that.

He didn't know why but he felt like Master Fu was suggesting that he was somehow to blame for Marinette becoming distracted.

He doubted that very much.

He and Marinette had only recently become friends.

Sort of.

He hoped, desperately.

"You were not chosen because of your father, Adrien, I can assure you of that," Master Fu said firmly but gently, "but I will not lie. The fact that you are Hawk Moth's son can give us a greater advantage in the battle against him. If you are willing I would like to use you now."

Chat gazed unblinkingly at the older, smaller, man.

He stared back unwavering. Although he was mysterious, and has probably a thousand or more secrets, there was something open, honest, and sincere in his face. Chat couldn't help but feel that this man had told him the truth. He was chosen because he was _special_ but that doesn't change the fact that he could be _used_ to their advantage too.

"Okay," Chat said quietly, "what do you want to me to do?"

Master Fu's lips curved into a slow, small, smile.

MLBMLBMLBMLBMLBMLB

"I cannot believe this!" Alya said for the umpteenth time. " _Ladybug_ is my best friend! _My best friend_ is Ladybug!"

They were currently running through the streets of Paris. It had been a solid whole hour since Marinette had revealed her secret identity and Alya still hadn't let the subject dropped. There had been the shrill-shrieking rant in her bedroom, the constant babbling when Marinette tried to get Alya to focus on the plan, the whispered lecture about keeping secrets as they had snuck out the Cesaire's apartment, and now there was the excited shouting in the streets.

It was beginning to get extremely annoying.

But at least Marinette hadn't been decimated into a pile of dust from Alya's righteous fury like she had feared.

So that was something.

"Oh jeeze Alya!" Marinette rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "Say that a little bit louder I don't think they quite heard you _right across the Channel_!"

"Sorry," Alya grinned sheepishly, "it's just _I can't believe it_! You're _Ladybug_! _My best friend is Ladybug_! I spent so long trying to find who you were and you were right beside me t _he whole freaking time_!"

"Yeah..." Marinette mumbled nervously, "about that...you're not still mad, are you?"

"Well I'm a little peeved," Alya admitted, "especially when I think about all the times you lied to me and that whole thing with the book," Marinette gulped as Alya narrowed her eyes, "but I get it. I mean I kinda did before, because it's such a trope in superhero comics and shows, but I didn't really get it, and I mean really, _really,_ get it until you gave me that Fox Miraculous." Alya took a deep breath. "I almost told you that I was Rena Rouge that first night," she confessed, "I was so excited and proud that Ladybug chose me, and then it suddenly hit me. If you knew my secret identity it could be put _you_ and my family in danger, and so I didn't tell you."

"I know," Marinette smiled, "I was so proud of you not telling me. I knew I could trust you to be Rena Rouge."

Alya flung her arms round Marinette so fast and hard that Marinette almost fell back onto the cold pavement. Fortunately, for once, Marinette was able to catch her balance before it was too late and, after a few startled seconds, she hugged back just as tightly.

"Thank you for trusting me," Alya whispered, "but Girl," Alya pulled back and Marinette stiffened as she noticed the terrifying gleam in Alya's eyes. The gleam that warned her that she was on the verge of being interrogated. "you have to be high if you think I'm not going to grill you for the details."

"What kind of details?" Marinette asked nervously. "Because we are sort of on a deadline here and the sooner we get back to Master Fu's the sooner we can rescue Tiki and stop Hawk Moth from accidentally destroying the world or something."

" _That_!" Alya jabbed a finger in the air. "That, right there. What makes you think Hawk Moth would _accidentally_ destroy the world rather than deliberately destroy it as part of his evil plan. The man _kidnapped you_ , Marinette!"

"Yeah," Marinette shivered, "and it was scary as hell but Gabriel Agreste sort of admitted his plan. He only wants to wish his wife back, I think she vanished, or died, or something?"

"Did Gabriel Agreste – _the man who barely speaks to his own son_ – actually monologue at you like a cliched villain straight out of a cartoon?" Alya asked disbelievingly. " _Seriously?_!"

"I don't know why you're so surprised!" Marinette cried out. "Hawk Moth totally monologued during the very first Akuma attack at the Eiffel Tower, remember? He made himself a giant head out of the butterflies and everything."

"I know," Alya shrugged, "but it's kinda hard to compute that the reclusive, uptight, silent businessman is actually secretly a rather flamboyant, ridiculously cliched, cheesy villain."

"Flamboyant?" Marinette wrinkled her nose.

"Have you _seen_ his Akumas?!"

"You have a point," Marinette murmured. The Akumas really were rather out there with their clownish looks and flashy, over the top, clothes. Marinette actually found it difficult to believe that a couture fashion designer had created such garish, hideous, fashion don'ts. If she didn't know better she wouldn't believe Gabriel Agreste was Hawk Moth either, just on that alone. "But yeah, I don't think his goal is world domination or anything, just reuniting with his wife. The problem is he wants to use the Miraculous to make a wish and-"

"All magic comes with a price," Alya finished knowingly. "He makes the wish and could kill Adrien or accidentally start the next plague epidemic or something in order to maintain the balance."

" _Exactly!_ " Marinette exclaimed. "How did you know?"

"It's in like every story you can imagine with magic," Alya rolled her eyes, "it's really obvious when you think about it."

They ducked round a corner in silence for an all too brief moment before Alya suddenly sprung her next question on Marinette.

"So is that why you keep sabotaging yourself with Adrien?" Alya blurted out. "Because you have feelings for Chat Noir?!"

" _What?_!" Marinette spluttered indignantly. "I do not sabotage myself with Adrien!"

"I noticed you don't deny you have feelings for Chat Noir," Alya observed dryly.

"He is my partner and best friend, after you," Marinette said quickly, "of course I have feelings for Chat Noir. _Friendly_ feelings."

" _Pfft_!" Alya snorted derisively. "Right. And you kissed him because...?"

"That was an emergency!" Marinette flushed hotly. "He was under an anti-love spell and was trying to _murder_ me! The only thing I could think of was our class on fairy tales and true love kisses and so I smacked one on him. It didn't mean a thing."

"It worked didn't it?" Alya smirked. "So you and Chat Noir do have true love!"

"So?" Marinette retorted. "True love doesn't have to be _romantic_. Don't you pay attention to Disney movies these days? You're my best friend and I love you, and I think that's _rather true too_! And my parents! I think our love for each other is true as well. So I think it's fair to say that I can love Chat Noir truly _without_ it being romantic!"

"Okay, okay!" Alya held up her hands in a surrendering gesture. "I get it. You're totally in denial about your feelings for Chat Noir."

Marinette spluttered again.

"And that's definitely why you keep sabotaging yourself with Adrien!"

Marinette spluttered so hard at that she almost choked. "I do not!" she stomped her foot down.

"You do too!" Alya grinned triumphantly. "I have a list to prove it, starting with not signing your name on his birthday present, not signing your name on that Valentine, stealing his phone, blurting out weird stuff instead of asking him out, that time-"

"Are you going to keep listing all of my failures or are you going to help me save my Kwami?" Marinette interrupted irritably as she felt her cheeks burn hotter and hotter. There was no way she was going to let Alya provide further evidence for her theory because there was no way Alya's theory was true. She's just been super unlucky with her timing round Adrien, that's all. "And I thought you wanted to grill me about what's going on?" Marinette said. She was not above offering the truth as a tantalising bribe to get Alya to back off on her love life. "Don't you want to know how Hawk Moth managed to capture me?"

"Oh I know how Hawk Moth captured you, all right," Alya snorted, "he dangled Adrien in front of you like a tasty little treat, didn't he?"

Marinette cheeks burned so brightly that she was pretty sure she was redder than her Ladybug suit at this point. " **NO**!" she shouted desperately. Alya merely raised an eyebrow up in reply and Marinette instantly relented. "...Yes," she mumbled in defeat.

 _Goddammit!_

Now that Alya knew the truth Marinette was apparently totally incapable of lying to her. Which was _totally unfair!_ Because she was sure she had succeeded in the past before or otherwise Alya would have totally figured out Marinette was Ladybug long before this.

"Ah Girl," Alya shook her head fondly, "let's just be grateful it took Hawk Moth this long to figure out your crush, yeah? I mean you were so painfully obvious that it's a miracle he hadn't twigged during that time Mylene's Dad got Akumatised," she leaned in extra close to whisper in a conspiratorial manner, "I had reports on my blog about lots of gazing into each other's eyes and blushing when one should be fighting the Akuma instead."

" _Mmph_!" Marinette groaned in embarrassment.

Alya threw her head back and laughed. "So this Miraculous Guardian guy," she said mercifully changing the topic, "does he live in a mystical cave or have a secret magical lair somewhere? I bet he wears monk robes and speaks in riddles doesn't he? And does he lull you into meditative trances with incense and chanting to help guide you to the right answer and unleash new powers?"

Marinette's lips twitched in amusement.

Boy, Alya was going to be so _disappointed_ when she actually met Master Fu!

MLBMLBMLBMLBMLBMLB

Alya was super disappointed upon meeting Master Fu!

There was no mystical cave or secret magical lair tucked into a pocket dimension somewhere mundane and normal in the city, there was no monk robes or wizardry clothes or anything at all classy and fashionable (Hawaiian shirts? _Really?!_ ), and there was certainly no incense and chanting to help unlock secret powers either!

Instead they were all squashed in a ordinarily boring flat that doubled up as a massage parlour or something with a boringly plain small man whose whole home smelled vaguely like the take out place down the road.

Alya felt really put out by this.

All her wild imaginings dashed, _just like that!_

Her disappointment must have been apparent because Marinette covered her mouth with a hand as she failed epically to hide her amusement. Alya would be annoyed with this but she caught Marinette's eyes meeting Chat Noir's as they broke into one of those knowing grins where they were clearly telepathically communicating to one another.

 _No romantic feelings for Chat Noir indeed!_

If Marinette had no romantic feelings for Chat Noir then Alya was a _platypus_!

"I should have known," Chat Noir grinned, "who else would Marinette pick but you?"

Alya preened a little at that.

The implication of the unadulterated trust both Chat Noir and Marinette had in her was flattering as hell.

"Thanks," Alya grinned, "I'd like to say the same back but I do believe you're the only one still wearing as mask, Kitty Cat."

Chat Noir looked flummoxed.

"I, erm, ah, well," he scratched the back of his neck nervously, "you see, erm, err...Princess?"

 _ **Princess?!**_

Alya was adding that to the list of many, many questions she was going to ask Marinette in the post-saving the world interrogation she was going to have.

Chat Noir turned his big, innocent, eyes to Marinette who rapidly flushed a brilliant shade of pink. "It would be dangerous if Chat and I knew each other's identities," Marinette said smoothly despite her blush (and Alya was incredibly impressed that Marinette hadn't suddenly turned into a stammering mess. This was, no doubt, the side of Marinette that was _Ladybug_ ). "If one of us were compromised by Hawk Moth it could put the other in danger."

"That is stupid," Alya crossed her arms, "how can you be an effective team if you can't communicate with one another when separated?"

"Ah," Master Fu spoke up softly, "I do believe Chat Noir and Ladybug have communicative devices when they are transformed."

"Yeah," Alya rolled her eyes, "but what if they _can't_ transform? What if Chat Noir's timely rescue hadn't happened and Marinette had to escape Hawk Moth by herself? Would Chat Noir have believed the crazy girl he knows he had rescued from Akumas before claiming to be Ladybug? How could she have contacted him and warned him in advance if he didn't know her face from anyone else? Keeping your identity a secret from the public and the people you love is one thing, but from each other? That's just _idiotic as hell_."

Marinette looked like a fish she kept opening and closing her mouth dumbly while Chat Noir looked like he wanted to shout in agreement with Alya, and Master Fu merely eyed her speculatively.

"Hmm..." he hummed quietly, "I do believe Marinette has chosen wisely when she picked you for the Fox Miraculous."

Alya puffed her chest out completely at that. "Why, thank you," she said humbly as possible (as in _not at all_ , she couldn't help but he proud of herself stumping superhero logic like that). "Now then," she all but threw herself down onto the floor to sit at the table, "are you going to unmask or what Boy?"

Chat Noir's blush was probably brighter than anything Marinette could conjure up in her most embarrassed and flustered states. It was rather sweet and endearing. "I think," Chat's eyes flickered anxiously to Marinette, "that it might be best if I do not reveal myself."

Alya narrowed her eyes in suspicion at that.

There was just something plain iffy about Chat's reluctance to reveal his identity. He was such a hopeless romantic that she would have thought the first thing he would do upon rescuing a recently unmasked Ladybug would be to rip off his own mask and provide loving comfort as soon as possible. To be so hesitant and nervous would suggest he had something to hide...

And Alya had a strong gut feeling as to _**what**_ he had to hide.

Chat Noir's rescue was a bit _too timely_ after all and it was a bit odd that the two biggest contenders for Marinette's heart had the same golden hair, emerald green eyes, and sheepish grin that felt far _too familiar_ for Alya to be _**not**_ be suspicious!

It didn't matter though Alya was nothing if not determined and stubborn when she put her mind to something, and she had now put her mind to figuring out who the boy beneath the mask was.

Though she was pretty certain she already knew.

(And boy, she was going to rub it in Marinette's face that _she was right_ and Marinette was _wrong_.)

"All right then," she shrugged, "have it your way. So how are we going to rescue Marinette's Kwami?" she asked changing the subject immediately. "Am I going to push Hawk Moth into insanity with lots of illusions or distract him with an imaginary army or something?"

Master Fu's lips twitched in amusement. "Nothing as outlandish as that," he said mildly, "our plan will be as simple and elegant as Hawk Moth's plan had been."

"Oh?" Alya said quizzically.

"By confirming that Hawk Moth and Gabriel Agreste are one and the same we have been given a great advantage of knowledge," Master Fu explained, "after all Gabriel Agreste and Marinette are very alike one another."

" _They are not!_ " Chat Noir snapped indignantly. "Marinette is far better than _him_ ," his face twisted in disgust at the thought of Gabriel Agreste, "she's sweeter, kinder, nicer, far lovelier than he could ever hope to be, and to suggest otherwise is-"

Master Fu raised up a silencing hand and Chat Noir's mouth immediately snapped audibly to a close. Alya could practically hear and feel Chat Noir grinding his teeth in agitation. She raised an amused eyebrow up at Marinette who's cheeks now rivalled her Ladybug suit once again. Alya smirked back.

 _What a pair of smitten kittens these two were!_

"I am not saying that Marinette and Gabriel Agreste are one and the same," Master Fu reprimanded Chat Noir gently, "but that they are _similar_. Marinette is clearly far more selfless and compassionate than Gabriel Agreste as she has not abused her Miraculous for her own gain and to terrorise a city, and I do believe she is far more capable of balancing her professional life and her personal life than Gabriel Agreste ever was."

Chat Noir nodded fiercely at that as his eyes lingered on Marinette adoringly. If Alya was a less romantic person she would have gagged at the nauseating sweetness of it all. Master Fu's own lips twitched in amusement as he too clearly caught sight of Chat's gaze.

"However both Marinette and Gabriel Agreste clearly share a passion for fashion," Master Fu continued, "and they are both creative and driven people who are motivated to succeed in what they love doing. They also, and more importantly today," Master Fu shot a pointed glance at Marinette, "share the same weakness as one another."

Marinette paled rapidly at that. "No," she said in steely, ice-like, voice, " _absolutely not_!"

"What?" Chat Noir blinked bewilderedly. "What is it?"

"I _refuse_ to use him like that!" Marinette spat out fiercely. "He doesn't deserve to be used like that after his father already so cruelly used him!"

"Adrien!" Alya's eyes widened in realisation. "You want to use _Adrien_."

Master Fu nodded.

 _Ooh!_

Alya winced at that.

Yeah, Alya could never see Marinette going for this plan.

Poor Adrien was always used and used again in his short life. His father used him as a poster boy, Chloe used him to make herself look better, the press used him on a slow news day, and his father used him again and again for business and for evil-doing apparently. There was no way in hell Marinette, the girl who would rather stab herself than use _Chloe_ , was going to use the boy she loved.

If anything it was a huge surprise that Marinette hadn't rushed back to the Agreste Mansion to rescue Adrien before Gabriel Agreste realised he could use his son again.

It meant that Marinette had learnt some impulse control and restraint behind Alya's back when it came to her feelings for Adrien.

Alya was so proud of her best friend.

"I don't see why we shouldn't," Chat Noir said carelessly, "any advantage we can get to stop Hawk Moth for good, I say."

Marinette shot him a furious glare that promised murder in the near future. " _I said no!_ " she hissed. "There has to be another way than to use Adrien. We couldn't ask him to betray his father like that, it isn't _fair_ to him!"

"It isn't fair to him that you're deciding this _without discussing it with him_ ," Chat pointed out coolly, "there is no reason why we shouldn't ask for his help. _Purr_ -haps he would give it willingly, have you thought of that My Lady?"

"It would be unfair of us to ask," Marinette insisted stubbornly, "I will not place him in such a difficult situation. I refuse to."

"Well it's not up to _you,_ is it?" Chat Noir snapped. "It's up to _me_ to decide whether or not I will help you take down my father."

And then, with a second of hesitation, Chat Noir dropped his own transformation. There was a blinding bright greenish white light that made Alya cover up her eyes and when it finally faded away to nothing she dropped her hands to reveal an agitated Adrien and a small, cute, black cat yawning in boredom, mid-air.

"And personally," Adrien said determinedly, "there's nothing more I would like to do than stop my father for good."

Marinette looked utterly gobsmacked as her mouth dropped open speechlessly while Master Fu's eyes twinkled merrily in amusement, and Alya...

Well, Alya immediately jumped up and pumped a victorious fist in the air. "YES!" she screamed in delight. " _ **I WAS RIGHT**_! TAKE THAT BITCHES!"


	7. Chapter 7

Gabriel had finally finished his video.

It was a masterpiece of villainy. Gabriel made certain of that as he crafted it into perfection with every word carefully chosen to press every single one of Chat Noir's impulsive buttons. Nathalie had rolled her eyes at every melodramatic cliché that fell out of Gabriel's lips but Gabriel maintained that the melodrama was necessary to maintain his secret identity.

No one would believe that the dignified and silent Gabriel Agreste was the ranting over the top Hawk Moth.

(For some reason the moment Gabriel said this Nathalie doubled over in the longest, loudest, coughing fit she ever had in their long professional relationship and Gabriel couldn't help but feel incredibly insulted for no discernable reason.)

He had decided against showing Miss Dupain-Cheng in the video. While that would have inspired the most fear in Chat Noir, Gabriel couldn't risk Miss Dupain-Cheng slyly warning Chat Noir somehow. He wouldn't put it past the crafty child who has thwarted his plans to find another way to thwart his latest master plan. Knowing the brat well enough, he was sure she could blink out a warning in Morse code before the video had finished.

Instead he made a point of showing Ladybug's earrings for the world to see.

After all if Chat Noir was less heroic (which frankly Gabriel did not believe as the moron was the very definition of an impulsive, noble, self-sacrificing hero) perhaps the sight of Ladybug's Miraculous would inspire a terrified mob of Parisians to drag Chat Noir to their meeting place and hand the brat over all trussed up like a Christmas goose.

Gabriel smirked to himself as he placed the scarlet red and black dotted jewels back into his safe. He felt a slight twinge of guilt when he remembered how young Ladybug turned out to be – _she's the same age as his son!_ \- but he squashed it defiantly as he reminded himself this was for _Emilie_ , the love of his life and his reason to live,and this was what happened when _meddling children_ put their noses in where they weren't wanted.

He returned to his computer with the intention of emailing the video to a local news channel (using a fake email address, of course) when a peculiar email popped into his inbox. The sending email address was Adrien's which was odd on it's own as Adrien ought to be fast asleep not playing on his computer but what truly unsettled Gabriel the most was the fact that the subject of the email read;

 **RANSOM NOTE!**

Adrien was supposed to be unaware that Gabriel had all but kidnapped Ladybug. His son was supposed to fast asleep and blissfully ignorant to the ongoings of his own home until the moment he saw his mother. So how could Adrien know that Gabriel was working on what was essentially a ransom note to send an email about it? What did Adrien have to say about it anyway? Was it a lecture of how wrong Gabriel was to be Hawk Moth or was it a list of suggestions of what Gabriel could say in his ransom note to Chat Noir?

For some reason Gabriel didn't believe it was either option.

His hand trembled slightly as he dragged his mouse to click on the email and the unsettled feeling deepened when all he could see in the email was a video attachment.

Uneasily, Gabriel pressed on the attachment.

And immediately jumped out of his chair as he felt his heart halt to a terrifying stop. " _ **ADRIEN**_!" he cried out, utterly horrified at the sight before him.

He blinked rapidly unable to believe his own eyes. _This can't real_ , he thought wildly, _this can't be_ _happening! I've made precautions to prevent this!_ Yet not matter how many times he blinked or pinched himself the picture on his screen hadn't change one single jolt.

It was Gabriel's worst fear come to life.

His only, precious, beautiful boy was tied up and gagged. Adrien's big emerald eyes were so wide with fear and confusion that Gabriel felt his heart sink to his stomach like a stone. To make matters worse, his son was squashed between that scoundrel Chat Noir and that impertinent brat Rena Rouge. Chat Noir's hand was up in an awkward angle, clearly filming this nightmare of a video, while Rena Rouge firmly kept her flute pressed against Adrien's throat in a threatening manner.

"Hawk Moth," Chat Noir said flatly, "or do you prefer Mr Agreste?"

There was something not quite right with Chat Noir. Something that Gabriel couldn't put his finger on (how could he? His eyes kept drifting to Adrien as he tried to deduce his son's welfare. He couldn't spot any noticeable bruises or any other indication of harm but that didn't mean these so called _heroes_ had been gentle when they had stolen his son away!). Chat Noir's hair appeared to be darker (or was it always dark and Gabriel never noticed before?) and their eyes were wider and bluer (or maybe they had always been blue?), and there were curves beneath Chat Noir's suit that Gabriel never noticed before (not that Gabriel had ever paid attention to what he can only conclude was a child's body but he used to pay extra attention to all media associated with Ladybug and Chat Noir and he could have sworn Chat Noir had a male figure), and Chat Noir's voice even sounded sweeter and higher than previous recordings. Yet every time Gabriel tried to focus on what was different his own memory got fuzzy to the point his head ached and then Adrien would twitch or blink, and his attention immediately flickered back to his child before he could grasp what exactly changed with Chat Noir.

"As you can see," Chat Noir continued calmly, "we know who you are, we know where you live, and we have your son."

Gabriel's hand curled into a fist at that.

It was bad enough that these interfering brats had thwarted his plans over and over again, but to break into his own home and take _Adrien?_

That was unforgivable.

"It's quite simple," Rena Rouge said abruptly, and Gabriel twitched irritably at how annoyingly smug this intruder sounded, "Adrien for Ladybug's Miraculous. You have one hour to reply or your precious cinnamon bun is toast."

" _FMPH!_ " Adrien cried out.

His voice was muffled by the duct tape covering his mouth but Gabriel could hear his cry of ' _Father_!' as loud and clear as a tolling bell. Icy dread filled the pit of his stomach.

 _This can't be...this simply can't be...Adrien is safe...the security measures would have prevented..._

"One hour," Chat Noir repeated, "tick tock, Gabriel Agreste. Your timing is running out."

The video screen stopped there with Adrien's petrified facial expression forever frozen beneath the replay button. There was two, excruciatingly long, seconds of deadly silence as everything that had just happened sunk in. It felt like Chat Noir had just wrenched Gabriel's heart out and thrown it onto the ground before stomping on it.

 _They had taken Adrien!_

Emilie will never forgive him for endangering their one and only child.

Gabriel suddenly snapped back to life with a burning fury like no other as he stormed out of his office door. This couldn't be real. _It wasn't real,_ Gabriel decided firmly. Chat Noir could not have bypassed Gabriel's security, he had sensors and cameras galore and the arrogant tom cat could not have gotten passed without setting one of them off.

"Sir?" Nathalie said startled. "Is there something wrong?"

Gabriel brushed her off without even a glance as he marched up the stairs towards Adrien's bedroom with a confidence that he would find his son safe and sound, fast asleep, in bed. Then he could dismiss the video as childish nonsense and inflict a devastating punishment on these infuriating, pompous, interfering little brats for daring to make a threat on his innocent child!

He flung Adrien's bedroom door open to find his son's bed rumpled and abandoned.

Gabriel's heart halted to a stop again.

"NO!" He shouted, utterly terrified. _Perhaps Adrien had woken up and gone to the toilet?_ A surge of mad and desperate hope rose up into Gabriel as he whirled round towards Adrien's en-suite bathroom. "ADRIEN!" Gabriel yelled as he rushed to the en-suite door desperately.

The bathroom was completely empty as well.

"No!" Gabriel choked out. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no..."

Gabriel repeated the word constantly while simultaneously feeling as if he couldn't breathe – _because they have taken his son!_ _ **His son!**_ \- and all he could hear was his own ragged breath and his heart thumping loudly in his ears as he dashed out madly towards the blue bedroom. _He will make them pay!_ If they harmed a single hair on Adrien's precious head then they shall find the same happen to their self-righteous leader Ladybug. _He will scalp the sanctimonious bug bald if he had to!_

He burst through the bedroom door only to find it completely abandoned as well and Miss Dupain-Cheng's restraints were left shredded all over the bed covers.

" _ **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH**_!"

Gabriel's furious screams tore out of his throat so loudly that he was sure even his staff could hear then a couple floors down. He didn't care though. All he could think about how even this plan had been screwed up by little children and now his son was in danger. His son!

 _How?!_

How could this be?!

How did she escape? How did Chat Noir find out so soon? How did they slip through Gabriel's defences like they were made of tissue paper? _How could this have happened?!_

Gabriel almost heaved onto the floor right there and then at the thought of Adrien being harmed.

He shook with barely suppressed rage that was mingled with fear.

He will not give into these _cowards._

He will not be thwarted once more by children who had no understanding of the truth.

He could not, not matter how much he wanted to, give these children the Ladybug Miraculous. He could not let his all of his work and have his identity revealed for nothing. He had to save Emilie _**and**_ Adrien, and he had to do it quickly before Adrien was harmed or Chat Noir and Rena Rouge gave Gabriel up to the police.

He needed help.

He needed an Akuma.

"Sir!" Nathalie called out as she briskly walked down the hall. She stumbled slightly in her heels when she noticed that the bedroom was empty but managed to compose herself quickly. "How...?" She whispered numbly.

"I don't know," Gabriel said curtly, "and what is worse, they have taken Adrien too."

" _Adrien?_!" Nathalie repeated horrified. "Why those little-!"

"Quite," Gabriel interrupted coldly, "but we have something they want and so they are willing to make an exchange."

Nathalie's eyes flashed furiously behind her glasses. " _The Ladybug Miraculous!_ " She hissed . "You're not going to give it to them are you?!"

"Don't be absurd Nathalie," Gabriel sneered, "I didn't go through all of this effort to give up the Miraculous now."

"Good," Nathalie said firmly, "but you're not leaving Adrien with them either, are you?!"

" _Certainly not!_ " Gabriel snapped. "These foolish children might think they have gotten the better of me by taking my son but they are stupid and naive to not realise the loopholes they have given me. They have not stipulated that I need to do the exchange _alone_ and we shall take great advantage at that."

Nathalie stood upright at that. She always held herself properly with the best posture that most models would slave through years of training to achieve but now she held herself up higher and prouder than before, like a general about to go to war.

"I am willing, Sir," Nathalie said with such resolve that Gabriel felt touched beyond belief, "to do whatever it takes to help you in this endeavour."

"Excellent," Gabriel's lips curved slightly, "I think you will be my greatest creation yet, Nathalie."

Nathalie said nothing but her fierce, grim, determination etched into her face said more than enough.

He will make the greatest Akuma yet. Nathalie will be unlike any other and she make them all pay for daring to lay a hand on Adrien. Before this night was out Gabriel swore to himself right there and then on Emilie's comatose body that he would teach these brats a lesson, save his son, and revive his wife.

The three members of the Agreste family will have breakfast together tomorrow morning as if these last few years had never happened.

 _Gabriel will make sure of it!_

"Nooroo," Gabriel murmured softly, " _Transform me_!"

MLBMLBMLBMLBMLBMLBMLB

Marinette chewed her bottom lip anxiously.

Adrien and Alya was seated across the other side of Master Fu's living room and were chatting away animatedly as Alya thoroughly interrogated Adrien on Chat Noir. They both looked confident and carefree that the plan was going to work but Marinette couldn't shake of the worry that Gabriel Agreste will find away to out-smart them at the worst possible moment.

 _What if she never saw Tiki again?!_

She couldn't bear it if she had lost her Kwami for good. She _adored_ Tiki! Tiki had been her best friend after Alya and Chat Noir. _More than that!_ Tiki was her best friend that she could carry in her pocket wherever she went. She was never alone when she had Tiki.

Was Tiki okay?

Gabriel Agreste wouldn't _hurt_ her, would he?

After all, unlike with Marinette, he actually _needed_ Tiki and hurting her would be counter-productive to his plan, right?

And, if everything did go to plan, what will happen after that? She would have to give Tiki up regardless, wouldn't she? After all Hawk Moth would be defeated and there was no need for Ladybug and Chat Noir (and Rena Rouge) any more, would there?

And after that, would she ever see Adrien again as well?

With his father in prison and no longer having superhero duty himself, would there be any reason for Adrien to stick around Paris? Let alone be friends with Marinette...

 _Or,_ Marinette flushed at the thought, _**more**_ _than friends._

Marinette shook her head rapidly so her pigtails slapped her cheeks. Her lack of a romantic relationship with Adrien Agreste should be the last thing on her mind right now. Tiki was still in the hands of the _enemy!_ She had to focus and _rescue her friend_ not moon over _Adrien Agreste_!

"Do you mind?" A sarcastic voice drifted from above Marinette. "I'm trying to eat my cheese here so I can be at full strength and your constant moving is making it difficult to get every last crumb into my mouth."

Marinette jumped slightly as she tried and failed to meet the eyes of Plagg. The black cat Kwami had, for unfathomable reasons, taken to sitting on top of her head since Adrien had dropped his transformation.

That had been a shock and a half.

Marinette was pretty sure she had temporarily blacked out from it all. The last thing she remembered was Alya pumping her fist up in victory and the next thing she knew there was a snarky black cat nestled in her hair distracting her with rude comments that sent Adrien exclaiming in exasperation.

"Are you eating cheese in my hair?!" Marinette cried out revolted. " _Plagg!_ That's _disgusting_! I don't want cheese crumbs in my hair!"

Adrien won't go near her ever again if she smelt like cheese! It didn't matter if he smelt like cheese because he could hardly smell _himself_ but Marinette knows that Adrien hates the smell of cheese, she read it in one of his most recent interviews, which meant it would be a disaster if she smelt like cheese as Adrien wouldn't come near her for a friendly shoulder squeeze!

If Plagg munched on cheese on Adrien the way he snacked on Marinette then it was no wonder Adrien hated cheese so much!

Chloe would have a field day if Marinette came into school stinking like ripe old cheese!

Marinette wrinkled her nose in disgust, ever thankful that Tiki had a preference to cookies instead.

 _Tiki!_

Marinette's heart throbbed with anxiety and worry.

"You shouldn't worry so much," Plagg said abruptly, ignoring Marinette's lecture altogether and startling Marinette out of her concern and straight into confusion instead. Marinette tilted her head back and just barely made contact with the flashing green cat eyes hovering above her. She blinked once, questioningly. " _Tiki_ ," Plagg clarified, "you're just like my Kid, he worries and overthinks things too. Tiki will be fine, Hawk Moth is hardly going to _hurt_ her when he wants to use her."

"I can't help it," Marinette murmured, "I don't think he meant to hurt me either but he did." She couldn't help but trace the scratch marks on her cheek lightly with her fingers. They still stung ever so slightly. "What if he lashes out when he finds me gone? I _abandoned_ her to the enemy."

Plagg shook his head. "Tiki wouldn't have wanted you to stick around, Princess, she's protective of her bugs like that," he rolled his eyes, "and I wouldn't worry about Tiki suffering at the hands of Hawk Moth. We're older than you think. We've all been in the hands of one bad guy or the other at least _once_ in our long lives. Tiki can handle herself for a few hours."

"But-"

"No buts," Plagg said firmly, "Gabriel Agreste locked her in his safe. It's unlikely he'll do anything to her until he has acquired me which will never happen because we're rescuing Tiki tonight."

"So much of the plan can go wrong," Marinette whispered fearfully, "what if we fail and lose you too?"

"You won't," Plagg said confidently, "you've got a good team at your back which he doesn't have. It'll be three to one and one of those three is _Adrien_. My Kid isn't going to let you down on this, you should know that by now."

Marinette felt her cheeks heat up as she thought back to all of her previous battles against Hawk Moth. Chat Noir had never let her down in battle before, he had had her back and more so from the get go.

"Speaking of my Kid," Plagg carried on, oblivious to Marinette's growing embarrassment, "I think you need to go and rescue him. That journalist friend of yours makes the _Spanish Inquisition_ look like a fluffy questionnaire."

Marinette grimaced at that.

Adrien's expression had rapidly changed from pleasantly amiable to strained politeness as Alya pressed on with more and more questions. Marinette doubted that Alya was asking anything strategically related to their plan any more and was more likely outright interrogating Adrien on his feelings for Marinette.

 **ERK!**

It was best to put a pin in that line of questioning before Alya frightened Adrien into immigrating all the way to some isolated island that forbids females!

Marinette moved to distract Alya but it was Adrien who saw her first. Marinette almost froze on the spot when she saw how Adrien's face lit up upon seeing her. It was a look she was accustomed of seeing on _Chat Noir's_ face when he looked at _Ladybug_ not when _Adrien_ looked at _Marinette_ , and it threw her off completely.

Alya, clearly noticing that Adrien's attention had moved away from her, glanced over her shoulder and smirked. "All right," she said slyly, "I'll leave you two lovebirds to it and ask Master Fu some more stuff on the Miraculous."

Marinette didn't know what she felt more.

The desperate choking need to die from embarrassment or deep strong pity for Master Fu who had no idea what he was going to get himself into with Alya.

They were both strong contenders.

Judging by Adrien's flushed grimace he was feeling pretty much the same as Marinette on the Alya page of things too.

Adrien tried to smile but it came out painful as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Hey," he said softly.

"Hey," Marinette replied nervously.

" _Urgh!_ " Plagg groaned loudly. "What went so wrong with your education system that they stopped teaching rhetoric even though you kids clearly need it?!"

Adrien and Marinette blushed simultaneously at that.

" _Shut up, Plagg_!" Adrien hissed.

"Pfft!" Plagg snorted. "Eloquent as always, Kid,"

Marinette was intrigued to see that Adrien's face was almost as red as her own cheeks felt. She was so used to seeing Adrien as calm and collected or Chat Noir as flamboyantly confident that it was bizarre to see him so awkward and uncomfortable.

It was a little comforting too.

 _He's just as human as I am!_

A reminder she very much needed sometimes.

"Hey," Marinette repeated softly, "are you okay?"

Adrien froze momentarily and there was a dozen different little flickers of emotion in his eyes at that. The usual flattered ego of Chat Noir mingled with triumphant joy whenever Ladybug had done something to indicate she cares, followed with a tender look that Marinette didn't dare call love, before the reality of the question really hit home, and there was anger, sadness, and fear all rolled in one.

"My father _lied_ to me!"

It was barely a whisper but the anguish in Adrien's voice screamed volumes. Marinette felt her throat close up as she couldn't find the words to comfort him. Her parents never lied to her so she didn't know what to say to make this situation magically better for Adrien.

" _My father lied to me_!" Adrien repeated angrier and louder than before. "He _**LIED**_ to me! I'm his son and he hid things from me and ditched me to slope off and do bad things to the world. He hurt my friends, he had hurt me, and for _what?_ World domination?"

"If it helps," Marinette said quietly, "I don't think your father wants to rule the world. I think he wants to use the Miraculous to save your mother."

"That makes it _worse_!" Adrien spat out. "It means he lied to me more than I thought he did! I thought my mother _died_ or _left me_! He didn't tell me anything when she vanished but I thought the silence made it clear enough, was _punishment_ enough, Mum walked out on us because of _me_! He let me _believe_ that! He lied to me, he abandoned me, he left me alone and hurting, and there's still secrets – _horrible, nasty, little secrets_ that will hurt even more – to find out."

"I know! _I know_!" Marinette cried out as she instinctively pulled Adrien into a tight hug as if they could melt together into one and wished with all her heart that she could just miraculously erase the pain in Adrien's heart as she erased the damages Hawk Moth had inflicted on Paris on a weekly basis. "I know it's horrible and I know it must hurt _so much_! I know there's going to be more horrible things to face too but you're _**not**_ alone Adrien. You don't have to suffer in silence any more. _I'm here!_ I'm here for you every step of the way and we'll get through this. Somehow, Some way, we'll get through this. I can't promise you that everything will get better but I can promise you _that!_ You will always have a hand to hold in the darkness."

"It hurts!"

"I know," Marinette said softly.

"I feel like I've just lost both of my parents all over again!"

"I know."

"I don't know what to do!"

"That's okay, Kitty," Marinette murmured, "we'll figure it out together, I promise."

Adrien let out a wretched sob as Marinette held onto him all the more tightly and rubbed his back as soothingly as possible. She continued to murmur nonsensical comforting words as Adrien trembled beneath her hands. Eventually, he pulled away and smiled weakly down at her.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, "for just breaking down on you like that."

"Don't be silly," Marinette smiled back. Her shoulder was soggy with snot and tears but it was a small price to pay, and didn't matter one little jolt, if it meant that Adrien got a chance to let it all out rather than bottle it all in like he had to do so often in the past. "I'm your partner and friends. This is what I'm here for. You can rage and scream and cry all you like on me, I'm not going to judge you."

Adrien almost glowed beneath the tear-stains at that and opened hist mouth to say something when Alya suddenly appeared out of nowhere between them. They jerked further apart from one another (and Marinette flushed deeply as she realised at some point Adrien's arms had tangled themselves round her waist while her hands had still been resting on his shoulders) and quickly looked anywhere else but at each other.

Alya's lips twitched in amusement but the grim, determined, no-nonsense, business-only expression remained cemented on her face. "Hawk Moth has just replied to our ransom note," she informed them eagerly. "He wants to meet at the park in twenty minutes."

Adrien frowned at that as Marinette felt chills of dread and anxiety roll down her spine. "Isn't that a bit too soon?" Adrien muttered.

"We'll be prepared," Alya said confidently, "we have an advantage, remember? Hawk Moth won't know what will hit him until it's too late!" Adrien flinched at that while Marinette grimaced. "But we won't have that advantage," Alya continued obliviously, "if we don't get a move on and Hawk Moth beats us to the park. C'mon Agreste, get your costume on. You have a role to play."

Alya then hurried off far too excitedly to transform.

"Well," Marinette muttered darkly to herself, "at least _someone_ is enjoying themselves."

Adrien chuckled at that and Marinette was pleased to see that some of his usual spark had returned to his beautiful emerald eyes. It didn't magically made everything better, they were far, far, far away from everything being at all better, but it was a start, and she could work on that.

She'll dedicate her life to making Adrien happy again if she has to.

"Marinette," Adrien said softly, almost reverently, " _thank you!_ "

Marinette blushed all over as she was unable to meet Adrien's gorgeous grateful green gaze. "No problem," she babbled, "it was nothing, well, obviously _not nothing_ nothing, but it wasn't a big deal, you know? What are friends for? Ha, ha."

Adrien grimaced at her rambling nonsense and Marinette flushed even more as her shame rose even higher.

 _Urgh_ , someone just kill her now before she digs a bigger hole.

Before she could say something – that would probably, _inevitably,_ make the situation worse – though, Adrien suddenly ducked down and planted a light, lingering, kiss on her lips which instantly fried what was left of Marinette's brain cells and left her frozen on the spot once more.

"I'm sorry," Adrien said sheepishly, "I know there's that other guy but I wanted to do that at least once. I hope you can forgive me."

" _Meep_!"

"Oi, Agreste!" Alya bellowed. "Are you coming or what?!"

"I'm coming!" Adrien called back over his shoulder. "I'll see you soon, My Lady," Adrien said in his most Chat Noir voice ever, "but until then..."

He swiftly plucked her hand up and pressed his customary light kiss on her knuckles. The lack of a superhero suit between them totally made a difference as Marinette felt all her nerve endings spark beneath his touch. Now whatever was left of her brain cells' corpses were also fried as Marinette's knees gave out and she slumped against the wall in order to stay upright on her feet.

"We best get moving too, Princess," Plagg said from his perch on the top of her head, "can't be late for the show, can we?"

"I...you...he...erm...err... _gah_!"

" _Urgh!_ Not this again!" Plagg flopped back with exasperated disgust. "Why do _**I**_ always get stuck with the love sick ones?!"


End file.
